The University of 欧美口爆视频 Law School will celebrate seven alumni and friends of the law school at its annual awards banquet on Thursday, March 14, 2019, at Broncos Stadium at Mile High in Denver.
In its 38th year, the 欧美口爆视频听Law Alumni Awards Banquet听recognizes distinguished alumni and friends for their contributions to the legal profession, service to their communities, and dedication to the law school. Proceeds from this year鈥檚 event benefit the Dean鈥檚 Fund for Excellence, which supports 欧美口爆视频 Law鈥檚 areas of strategic importance, including broadening access to a legal education, connecting globally, and supporting faculty excellence; and the Law Alumni Scholarship Fund, awarded annually to a student who has demonstrated academic achievement, financial need, and service to the law school community.
A cocktail reception will begin at 5 p.m., followed by dinner and the program. Members of the media are invited to attend and should RSVP to Julia Roth at julia.roth@colorado.edu.
Learn more about the 欧美口爆视频 Law Alumni Awards Banquet, including details on sponsorship opportunities and ticket sales, at colorado.edu/law/banquet or email kelly.dell@colorado.edu.
We are pleased to honor the following individuals this year:
William Lee Knous Award
欧美口爆视频 Law鈥檚 highest alumni honor will be jointly awarded to William "Bill" Gray and John Purvis in recognition of their long history of service to the University of 欧美口爆视频 and longtime outstanding reputation in the 欧美口爆视频 legal community. After meeting in law school, Gray and Purvis teamed up in 1970 to form the first 欧美口爆视频 State Public Defender鈥檚 Office in Boulder and went on to co-found the tort litigation firm now known as Purvis Gray Thomson, LLP in 1985..
William R. Gray (A&S '63, Law '66)
听recently retired from Purvis Gray Thomson, LLP, where he devoted his practice to civil litigation and focused on representing seriously harmed plaintiffs. As of his retirement, he was one of only three practicing 欧美口爆视频 lawyers to be a fellow of all four of the preeminent, peer-selected trial lawyer organizations鈥攖he American College of Trial Lawyers; the International Society of Barristers (of which he served as national president in 2008-2009); the International Academy of Trial Lawyers; and the American Board of Trial Advocates. Recognized by听The听Best Lawyers in America听for more than 15 years, Gray was named the 2011 Personal Injury Litigator of the Year in Denver. He served the 欧美口爆视频 attorney regulation system as a member of the 欧美口爆视频 Supreme Court Grievance committee for six years, two years as chair, and served both as a mediator and hearing board member for more than 30 years in cases alleging lawyer misconduct. Gray is also a recipient of the 欧美口爆视频 Bar Association Professionalism Award. He has been lead counsel on many of the most highly publicized criminal and civil cases in 欧美口爆视频. In 1985, he was presented with the rarely given American College of Trial Lawyers鈥� Award for Courageous Advocacy for his defense of the accused in a high-publicity murder case.
John A. Purvis ('67)
is an attorney at Purvis Gray Thomson, LLP, where his career has focused on civil litigation and trials. He has long had a special interest in brain injury victims and cases and has frequently written and lectured on the subject. He has been listed in every edition of The Best Lawyers in America since 1989, and is currently included in the areas of personal injury, product liability, professional liability, legal malpractice, and mass torts. The Best Lawyers in America named him Denver鈥檚 Lawyer of the Year for mass torts (2011), personal injury (2013), and product liability (2014). He is one of three lawyers in 欧美口爆视频 elected to the International Society of Barristers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the American College of Trial Lawyers, and the American Board of Trial Advocates. He has been 欧美口爆视频 State Chair of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the American College of Trial Lawyers, and has chaired the Committee on Conduct of the United States District Court for 欧美口爆视频, the Litigation Council of the 欧美口爆视频 Bar Association, and the 欧美口爆视频 Public Defender Commission. Prior to attending 欧美口爆视频 Law, Purvis graduated from Denver鈥檚 North High School and Harvard University.
Alumni Awards for Distinguished Achievement
Distinguished Achievement鈥擩udiciary: The Honorable Kristen L. Mix (鈥�85)
is a federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the District of 欧美口爆视频. Her extensive involvement with 欧美口爆视频 Law includes service as an adjunct professor; creation of the Public Interest Diversity Internship/Externship Program, which helps diverse second- and third-year law students secure internships with public employers and nonprofits in the Denver area; and her endowment of the Kristen L. Mix Scholarship at 欧美口爆视频 Law. Mix was appointed to the federal bench in 2007. In addition to serving as a full-time Magistrate Judge on the United States District Court for the District of 欧美口爆视频, she has served on the Judicial Conference of the United States鈥� Committee on the Administration of the Magistrate Judge System, the Executive Committee of the Federal Magistrate Judges鈥� Association, the District of 欧美口爆视频鈥檚 Local Rules Committee, and as a member and Chair of the 欧美口爆视频 Judicial Coordinating Council. Mix will join the Sedona Conference鈥檚 Judicial Advisory Board in December 2018, and will serve as president of the Federal Magistrate Judge鈥檚 Association in 2021-2022. She is the judicial co-founder of the 欧美口爆视频 Intellectual Property American Inn of Court and is on the Executive Committee of the Sonia Sotomayor American Inn of Court. Mix鈥檚 efforts to better serve pro se litigants led to the opening of a federal pro se clinic in the District of 欧美口爆视频鈥檚 Alfred A. Arraj United States Courthouse in June 2018. She is the proud mother of a 欧美口爆视频 Law graduate (Class of 2015) and a frequent writer and speaker on the law.
Distinguished Achievement鈥擯rivate Practice: Todd A. Fredrickson (PolSci '87, Law '91)
is a partner in the Denver office of Fisher & Phillips LLP, where he also serves as chair of the firm's Diversity and Inclusiveness Committee. He is a former chairman and member of the 欧美口爆视频 Law Alumni Board and is widely respected and recognized for his work in diversity, inclusiveness, and advocacy. Fredrickson is a "double Buff" and serves as a trustee for the 欧美口爆视频 Foundation. He maintains a strong connection to both the University of 欧美口爆视频 and the law school. His practice involves representing employers in various matters arising under such laws as Title VII, Americans with Disabilities Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, National Labor Relations Act, and Fair Labor Standard Act. He also is one of a small number of Denver labor attorneys who practice traditional labor law, representing employers in union campaigns, contract negotiations, grievance arbitrations, and unfair labor practice charges. Todd is "AV" Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been included in the 欧美口爆视频 Super Lawyers list since 2006. He has also been listed in Chambers USA, America's Leading Business Lawyers since 2009, and The Best Lawyers in America since 2012. He was recognized as an Employment Law 鈥� Management Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America in 2014, 2017, and 2019. Fredrickson was also selected as a BTI Consulting Group Client Service All-Star for 2011 and was named the "People's Choice" selection as the Best Employment Lawyer in Barrister's Best by Law Week 欧美口爆视频 six years in a row beginning in 2011. 5280 magazine has included him on its 鈥淭op Lawyers鈥� list since 2008.
Distinguished Achievement鈥擯ublic Sector: Jim Coyle ('85)
Jim Coyle recently retired after 28 years with the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel for the 欧美口爆视频 Supreme Court, including five years as the head. Under his leadership, 欧美口爆视频 remained the gold standard for attorney regulation systems with new, innovative, and effective programs that promote the public interest. He assisted the Supreme Court with regulating the practice of law in 欧美口爆视频, including attorney admissions, registration, discipline, disability, diversion, mandatory continuing legal and judicial education, unauthorized practice, and inventory counsel functions. His office also acts as counsel for the Attorneys Fund for Client Protection and the Commission on Judicial Discipline. Coyle is an active member of the American and 欧美口爆视频 Bar Associations, National Conference of Bar Examiners, National Organization of Bar Counsel, 专A Center for Professional Responsibility, National Client Protection Organization, National Continuing Legal Education Regulators Association, Association of Judicial Discipline Counsel, and 专A Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs. His recent professional recognitions include the 2017 President鈥檚 Award from the National Association of Bar Counsel; 听the 2018 Isaac Hecht Award for Excellence in the Field of Law Client Protection from the American Bar Association's National Client Protection Organization; the 2018 Meritorious Service Award from the 专A Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs; and the 2018 Lawyer of the Year Award from the 欧美口爆视频 LGBT Bar Association. Coyle is dedicated to serving both lawyers and the public through his work with the 欧美口爆视频 LGBT Bar Association and as co-founder and co-chair of the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being, where he has focused on lawyer well-being, access to justice issues, and diversity and inclusiveness.
Dean's Choice Awards
Dean S. James Anaya will also present two Dean's Choice Awards, recognizing exceptional contributions to 欧美口爆视频 Law:
Dean Edward C. King Making A Difference Award: Meshach Y. Rhoades ('04)
is an equity partner in Armstrong Teasdale LLP鈥檚 litigation practice group in Denver and serves as co-chair of the firm鈥檚 Inclusion Committee, where she works alongside firm leaders to drive inclusion programming and initiatives, and co-chair of the firm鈥檚 Food, Beverage and Agriculture practice group.听Rhoades demonstrates an ongoing commitment to diversity through her own involvement with local and national organizations including the Center for Legal Inclusiveness, 欧美口爆视频 Legal Services, Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, American Heart Association, American Civil Liberties Union, and 欧美口爆视频 Hispanic Bar Association. Rhoades is also co-founder of the Latinas First Foundation, which honors unsung heroines and trailblazers in the 欧美口爆视频 Latina community, builds community for Hispanic women, awards scholarships to collegiate and postgraduate students, and trains women on career progression. She is a past member of the 欧美口爆视频 Law Alumni Board, where she participated in the Alumni Mentoring Program.
Richard Schaden Adopted Alumnus Award: Korey Wise
Korey Wise is a philanthropist, activist, youth mentor, and namesake of the Korey Wise Innocence Project at the University of 欧美口爆视频 Law School. In 1989-90, he and four other black and Latino teenagers were arrested, tried, and convicted of charges stemming from the brutal attack and rape of a female jogger in New York City鈥檚 Central Park. The oldest defendant at 16, Wise was tried as an adult and sentenced to five to 15 years. In 2002, the true rapist confessed to the crime, which DNA testing confirmed, and the 鈥淐entral Park Five,鈥� as they became known, were exonerated. Wise ultimately spent 13 years and four months incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. In 2015, after receiving a civil settlement, he made a generous contribution to the Innocence Project at 欧美口爆视频 Law, which was renamed in his honor. He remains an active partner of the law school and other philanthropic organizations. Through his activism, Wise seeks to ensure that future generations don鈥檛 have to experience what he went through.