Honorable Glenda Hatchett to Keynote the 2022 Access to Justice Awards Dinner on May 12
TOLEDO, OH, – Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE), Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc. (LAWO) and the Toledo Bar Association Pro Bono Legal Services Program (TBA) will honor three individuals and an organization for their extraordinary service to people living in poverty in northwest Ohio: James Nooney, Sr., for his work with pro se guardianship applicants; David L. Beckwith for his life-long dedication to grassroots organizing and social justice; Beatriz Maya for her commitment to assisting migrant farm workers, immigrants, refugees, and the Latinx community; and the Dana Legal Department for its history of service to the Medical-Legal Partnership for Children in Toledo.
The awards will be presented during the Access to Justice Awards Dinner on May 12, 2022, at The Pinnacle in Maumee. The event, which is attended by over 500 guests each year, is led by the northwest Ohio legal community with proceeds to support legal services in our region. A sponsor and VIP reception will kick off the festivities at 6 p.m., followed by a public reception at 6:30 p.m., and the dinner and awards ceremony starting at 7 p.m.
This year's Access to Justice Awards Dinner keynote speaker is the Honorable Glenda Hatchett, Georgia’s first African American Chief Presiding Judge of a state court and former head of one of the largest juvenile court systems in the country. She is a graduate of Emory University School of Law and an Earl Warren Scholar. Judge Hatchett has keynoted several national conferences, including the Diversity Conference in the U.S. Senate, the Minority Employer’s Conference at Newell Rubbermaid, Home Depot’s Women’s History Speaker’s Series, and Black Enterprise’s Entrepreneurs Conference. She has received many awards, including the Outstanding Jurist of the Year, Atlanta affiliate of the National Bar Association; Roscoe Pound Award, National Council on Crime and Delinquency; and the Thurgood Marshall Award, NAACP, among others. Most recently, Judge Hatchett returned to TV in her new television court series, The Verdict.
The 2022 Public Interest Law Award recipient is James Nooney, Sr., a member of Eastman & Smith and Toledo-area attorney who has been practicing law for 54 years. Nooney regularly takes on a variety of pro bono cases, including tort defense, and has most recently been helping TBA’s Pro Bono Program assist clients with the paperwork for guardianships. Providing legal services to those unable to pay for them is a core feature of Nooney’s professional identity. He believes that providing pro-bono services is a responsibility of all professionals and in particular lawyers. He is often encouraging his colleagues and newer associates to take on pro bono work.
Two individuals are receiving 2022 Community Advocacy Awards for their roles in fostering change through community organizing.
Beatriz Maya is receiving a 2022 Community Advocacy Award for her endless pursuit of empowering immigrants, refugees, farmworkers, and the Latinx community. Her advocacy began decades ago when she worked for the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), doing everything in her power to bring education and justice to migrant farmworkers. She is the founder of La Conexion (founded in 2013), a nonprofit comprised of Latinx residents of northwest Ohio who come together to bring unity, voice, representation, and advance the rights of the growing Latinx community in the area. Maya was also instrumental in forming the Northwest Ohio Immigrant Rights Network (NWOIRN) in 2019. The network of advocates and allies is comprised of immigrant-based organizations, advocacy groups, and individuals acting in solidarity with our immigrant community to build humane, just, inclusive, safe, equitable, and welcoming communities for everyone.
David L. Beckwith is receiving an award posthumously for his contributions as a community organizer for more than 50 years. Beckwith’s local organizing efforts began in 1981 when he assumed the role of director of the East Toledo Community Organization, focusing on housing and neighborhood issues, including the environment and economic development. Additional professional positions include principal of the Great Lakes Institute, executive director of the Needmor Fund, and research associate at the University of Toledo’s Urban Affairs Center. But it was really Beckwith’s way with people that earned him this award. Known as a community mentor for social justice and environmental activists in the Toledo community, Beckwith touched the lives of many and motivated others to understand that they had the power to lead and to hold people accountable for their actions.
Dana Incorporated is the recipient of the 2022 Distinguished Service Award. The company and its people have a long history of service to legal aid and the Medical-Legal Partnership for Children (MLPC) in Toledo. Creating the Corporate Counsel Legal Aid Fellowship in 2013, Dana's Legal Department worked tirelessly to form a unique partnership among the counsel of the major corporations in northwest Ohio with ABLE and LAWO. Their support expanded the capacity of the firms to serve more vulnerable families through the MLPC, which addresses the social determinants of health through partnering with medical providers. Dana's assistance allowed the MLPC to grow and garner other financial support, helping nearly 3,500 people in poverty between 2013 and 2021. Dana’s steadfast engagement and service launched the project's success, and this vital work continues to date. In addition, the Dana Charitable Foundation has also provided ongoing support to ABLE and LAWO.
PURCHASE TICKETS
Those looking to be inspired by this year’s keynote speaker and award recipients can purchase individual tickets and sponsorships online at https://bit.ly/2022_A2JToledo.
Current sponsors at the Partner Sponsorship level are Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP, Brouse McDowell, LPA, Owens Corning, Marathon Petroleum, and Eastman & Smith, Ltd. Current sponsors at the Associate Sponsorship level are Contrada & Associates, Greater Toledo Community Foundation, The Trust Company of Toledo, the University of Toledo, Lucas Metropolitan Housing, and Malone, Ault & Farell.
For more information, contact Carmen Vega-Perez at ABLE: 419-930-2515 or cvega@ablelaw.org.
About ABLE & LAWO: Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc. (ABLE) and Legal Aid of Western Ohio, Inc.(LAWO) are non-profit regional law firms that provide high-quality legal assistance in civil matters to help eligible low-income individuals and groups in western Ohio achieve self-reliance, and equal justice and economic opportunity.
About TBA: To advance the highest standards of excellence for the legal profession, promote the rule of law, facilitate equal access to justice, and consciously foster a diverse and inclusive legal community, by providing unmatched collaborative opportunities, professional development and outstanding services to our members while also supporting the community at large.
