2011 Vanguard Awards Honor Six

   



At the Vanguard Awards luncheon are honorees (from left): Justice
William Cousins, Marc Firestone, Laura Ricketts, Edwin Reyes,
Selma D'Souza, Judge Manuel Barbosa and
CBA 1st Vice President Robert Clifford.

  A crowd of some 250 gathered at The Standard Club Wednesday, April 20 for the 2011 Vanguard Awards luncheon.  Six attorneys and judges who have expanded the diversity of the legal profession were honored by The Asian American Bar Association, The Chicago Bar Association, The Cook County Bar Association, The Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois, The Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago, and The Puerto Rican Bar Association.

Each of the sponsoring bar associations selected an honoree who has through his or her efforts, increased access to justice for the whole community. While other bar associations present diversity awards, the Vanguards are different because they allow lawyers from different communities to meet, learn about and hear from exceptional lawyers and organizations.

In 2011, the honorees were:


Hon. Manuel Barbosa, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Illinois
       Hispanic Lawyers Association HonoreeJustice William Cousins, Jr., Illinois Appellate Court (ret.)
      Cook County Bar Association HonoreeSelma C. D’Souza, Legislative Director, Illinois Department of Healthcare
and Family Services
     Asian American Bar Association of Chicago Honoree
Marc Firestone, Executive Vice President, Corporate & Legal Affairs
and General Counsel, Kraft Foods, Inc.
     Chicago Bar Association Honoree
Edwin Reyes, Briskman, Briskman & Greenberg
     Puerto Rican Bar Association Honoree     
Laura M. Ricketts, Chicago Cubs Board Member; Chair,
The Chicago Cubs Charities
      Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago Honoree.
    

Hispanic Lawyers Association
of Illinois honoree Hon. Manuel
Barbosa (right), with President
of the HLAI Alfredo Maldonado


 

Cook County Bar Association honoree
Justice William Cousins (right)
with CCBA President Lawrence N. Hill






Asian American Bar Association of Chicago honoree Selma D'Souza (left) with AABAC
President Diana Lin.



Lesbian and Gay Bar Association
of Chicago honoree Laura M. Ricketts,
with LAGBAC President John Litchfield.

    

Chicago Bar Association honoree

Marc Firestone (left), with CBA
1st VP Robert A. Clifford.

  

Puerto Rican Bar Association Honoree
Edwin Reyes (right) with Charles
Romaker, President of the PRBA.