Davis Award
The Richard Marden Davis Award
Presented annually to a Denver attorney under 40, the Richard Marden Davis Award recognizes a combination of legal excellence and civic, cultural, educational, and charitable leadership. It is presented in partnership with the Denver Bar Association and the Davis Family.
Dick Davis was not only a skilled and charismatic lawyer; he also carved out ample time for community service. He served as president of the Denver Bar Association in 1959 and he played key leadership roles in the Colorado Public Expenditures Council, Museum of Natural History, Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, Denver Rotary Club, Denver Art Museum, and other organizations. The award was created in memory of Dick Davis, not only to recognize successful and committed young lawyers but also to inspire other young attorneys to follow in his footsteps.
RECIPIENTSPrevious Davis Award Recipients
The inaugural Davis Award was presented in 1993 to then–Judge Celeste Quinones. Every subsequent year, the award has been presented to a young attorney with an outstanding record of professional and community service. Previous recipients have upheld the tradition of leadership that the award represents. The list includes judges, governors, public prosecutors, general counsel, and private practitioners.
2024Desta K. Asfaw
Partner, Holland & Hart LLP
2023Noah Patterson
Colorado Attorney General’s Office
2022John T. Lee
Colorado Attorney General’s Office
2021Jason St. Julien
Airbnb, Inc.
2020Richard Murray
Polsinelli PC
2019Theresa Benz
Partner, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP
2018Hetal J. Doshi
Former United States Department of Justice
2017Stephanie Donner
Inspire Clean Energy, LLC
2016Cristal Torres DeHerrera
Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance
2015Qusair Mohamedbhai
Partner, Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC
2014Denise Hoffman White
Hoffman Nies Davis & Meyer LLP
2013Shannon Stevenson
Colorado Attorney General’s Office
2012Franz Hardy
Gordon Reese Scully Mansukhani, LLP
2011Stacy Carpenter
Polsinelli PC
2010Mark Clouatre
Nelson Mullins LLP
2009Monica M. Marquez
Justice, Colorado Supreme Court
2008Mari Newman
Partner, Newman | McNulty, LLC
2007Michael Carrigan
Partner, Holland & Hart LLP
2006Kristin Bronson
Executive Director, Colorado Lawyers Committee
2005Kenzo S. Kawanabe
Partner, Olson Grimsley Kawanabe Hinchcliff & Murray LLC
2004Tim Macdonald
Legal Director, ACLU of Colorado
2003Todd Fredrickson
Partner, Fisher & Phillips LLP
2002Chris Little
Formerly Montgomery Little & Soran
2001Richard Gabriel
Justice, Colorado Supreme Court
2000Gilbert Roman
Chief Judge, Colorado Court of Appeals
1999Paul Chan
General Counsel, University of Maine System
1998Natalie Hanlon-Leh
Colorado Attorney General’s Office
1997David Powell
Partner, Garnett Powell Maximon Barlow & Farbes
1996Allan Hale
Of Counsel, Kelly Law Partners, LLC
1995Kathleen Odle
Formerly Sherman & Howard LLC
1994A. William “Bill” Ritter, Jr.
Center for The New Energy Economy at Colorado State University
1993Celeste Quinones
Former Judge, City and County of Denver
Nominations for the 2024 Davis Award are Now Closed.
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