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
First Assistant Attorney General, Colorado Attorney General’s Office
2022John T. Lee
First Assistant Attorney General, Colorado Attorney General’s Office
2021Jason St. Julien
Lead Counsel of Comunity Trust, Airbnb
2020Richard Murray
Shareholder, Polsinelli PC
2019Theresa Benz
Partner, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP
2018Hetal J. Doshi
Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice
2017Stephanie Donner
CEO and Chief Legal Officer, Inspire Clean Energy LLC
2016Cristal Torres DeHerrera
Chief Operating Officer, Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance
2015Qusair Mohamedbhai
Partner, Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC
2014Denise Hoffman White
Managing Partner, Hoffman Nies Davis & Meyer LLP
2013Shannon Stevenson
Colorado Solicitor General, Colorado Attorney General’s Office
2012Franz Hardy
Partner, Gordon Reese Scully Mansukhani, LLP
2011Stacy Carpenter
Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig
2010Mark Clouatre
Partner, Nelson Mullins LLP
2009Monica M. Màrquez
Chief 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
Retired, Montgomery Little & Soran
2001Richard Gabriel
Justice, Colorado Supreme Court
2000Gilbert Roman
Court of Appeals Chief Judge, Liaison to the 9th Judicial District
1999Paul Chan
General Counsel, University of Maine System
1998Natalie Hanlon-Leh
Chief Deputy Attorney General, Colorado Attorney General’s Office
1997David Powell
Founding Partner, Garnett Powell Maximon Barlow & Farbes
1996Allan Hale
Owner, Hale Law LLC
1995Kathleen Odle
Retired, Sherman & Howard LLC
1994A. William “Bill” Ritter, Jr.
Founder and Director, Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE) at Colorado State University
1993Celeste Quinones
Former Judge, City and County of Denver
Nominations for the 2025 Davis Award are now closed.
The nominations for the 2025 Davis Award are now closed. For questions, please contact Emily Sheldon.
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