Trial Attorney of the Year Award
The PWCBA began recognizing local attorneys for outstanding work as court-appointed attorneys in 1989. In 1995, the award was expanded to recognize the outstanding dedication, professionalism, and competence of court-appointed counsel in the Circuit, General District, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Courts in our jurisdiction. In 1994, the Bar presented the first Guardian Ad Litem of the Year Award.
In 2011, the Court-Appointed Attorney of the Year Award was re-named the Trial Attorney of the Year Award in order to recognize any attorney, not just court-appointed, whose practice in the courts of the 31st Judicial Circuit is exemplary.
The PWCBA seeks nominations for these awards from the courts and the awards are given at the annual Bench Bar Dinner Dance.
Trial Attorney of the Year and Guardian Ad Litem of the Year Recipients
2022
Rebecca Thacher – Circuit Court
Charles Nucciarone – General District Court
Mandy Petrocelli – J&DR District Court
Joan Coleman – Juvenile GAL
2021
Shalev Ben-Avraham – Circuit Court
Robert A. Gregory – General District Court
Lavonda Graham-Williams – J&DR District Court
Felisha Thomas Hardy – Juvenile GAL
2020
William A. Boge – Circuit Court
Hasina A. Lewis – General District Court
Caroline L. Lochabay – J&DR District Court
Stephanie Stinson – Juvenile GAL
2019
Brian Boyle – Circuit Court
Mark Thomas Crossland – Circuit Court
Robert H. Harris, II– General District Court
Kathryn F. Fenske – J&DR District Court
Ashleigh Nicole Iszard – Juvenile GAL
2018
Lauren Pomerantz – Circuit Court
Lisa K. Caruso – General District Court
J. Regan Kline – J&DR District Court
Sadie Banks Brown – Juvenile GAL
2017
John J. Irving – Circuit Court
Che C. Rogers – General District Court
Lisa K. Caruso – J&DR District Court
Carlos Flores-Laboy – Juvenile GAL
2016
Peter Francescon – Circuit Court
Erin Tiffany Ford – General District Court
Meghan Matulka – J&DR District Court
Jessica Stokes-Johnson – Juvenile GAL
2015
James A. Willett – Circuit Court
Anne T. Godson – General District Court
Kimberly Hackbarth – J&DR District Court
Nicholas D. Williams – Juvenile GAL
2014
James P. Griffin – Circuit Court
Rebecca Thacher – General District Court
Christopher D. Feldmann – JDR District Court
Angela C. Morehouse – Juvenile GAL
2013
Donald E. Coulter – Circuit Court
Nicole Naum – General District Court
Justin M. Hargrove – JDR District Court
Mark Henshaw – Juvenile GAL
2012
Chester L. Banks – Circuit Court
Kevin L. Leahy – General District Court
W. Michael Phipps – J&DR District Court
Anne Norloff – Juvenile GAL
2011
Raymond J. Morley — Circuit Court
Barry A. Zweig — General District Court
Abigail A. Miller — J&DR District Court
Janet Ours — Juvenile GAL
Court-Appointed Attorney of the Year and Guardian Ad Litem of the Year Recipients
2010
Jennifer B. Zary — Circuit Court
C. Shawn Allen — General District Court
Carlos Flores-Laboy — J&DR District Court
Lori V. Battistoni — Juvenile GAL
2009
John Notarianni — Circuit Court
Michael Fasano — General District Court
Robert Gregory — J&DR District Court
Charlie Ashton — Juvenile GAL
2008
John Irving — Circuit Court
Barry Zweig — General District Court
Mark Crossland — J&DR District Court
Anthony McLaughlin — Juvenile GAL
2007
Kimberly A. Irving — Circuit Court
Raymond Morley — General District Court
John J. Irving — J&DR District Court
Robert P. Coleman — Juvenile GAL
2006
Olaun Simmons — Circuit Court
W. James Baker — General District Court
Myron Teluk — J&DR District Court
Penny George — Juvenile GAL
2005
James Baker — Circuit Court
Robert P. Coleman — General District Court
Kimberly Irving — J&DR District Court
Raymond Morley — Juvenile GAL
2004
Mark T. Crossland — Circuit Court
Ronald W. Fahy — General District Court
William J. Baker — J&DR District Court
Michele Rydell — Juvenile GAL
2003
C. Shawn Allen — Circuit Court
Nancy Croteau — General District Court
Nancy Croteau — J&DR District Court
Kevin Childers — Juvenile GAL
2002
Elizabeth von Keller — Circuit Court
Tracey Lenox — General District Court
Mark Newman — J&DR District Court
Rusty von Keller — Juvenile GAL
2001
Robert Coleman — Circuit Court
Mark Newman — General District Court
Mark Henshaw — J&DR District Court
Dennis Carluzzo — Juvenile GAL
2000
Nancy Stone — Circuit Court
William Boge — General District Court
Robert Coleman — J&DR District Court
Robert Cooper — Juvenile GAL
1999
Jim Baker — Circuit Court
Robert Horan — General District Court
Jim McCoart — J&DR District Court
Amy Ashworth — Juvenile GAL
1998
Robert Coleman — Circuit Court
Robert Gregory — General District Court
Russell Wells — J&DR District Court
1997
Jerry Negin — Circuit Court
Nancy Stone — J&DR District Court
Paul Walla — Juvenile GAL
1996
Rossie D. Alston, Jr. — Circuit Court
Carol Hill — General District Court
Jerry Negin — J&DR District Court
1995
Jerry Negin — Circuit Court
Bob King — General District Court
Russell Wells — J&DR District Court
1994
Rossie D. Alston, Jr. — General District Court
Michele Jung — Juvenile GAL
1993
Bob King, Court Appointed Attorney of the Year
1992
Scott Bailey, Court Appointed Attorney of the Year
1991
Fred Edwards, Court Appointed Attorney of the Year
1990
Rick Wheeler, Court Appointed Attorney of the Year
1989
Paul Gluchowski — J&DR District Court
