THLA Announces 2017 Award Recipients
THLA is proud to announce the following award recipients who will be honored at the 24th Annual THLA Awards Ceremony and Installation Dinner, which will be held on Thursday, April 13, 2017, at the historic US Grant Hotel:
Patricia Hollenbeck (Friend of the Community Award): As her nominations note, Patty has been a longtime supporter of the LGBTQ+Q community and “has been there year after year working for equality for all.” Patty has “never been afraid to stand shoulder to shoulder” with the LGBTQ+Q community throughout its ongoing fight for equality. Patty, who is a partner at Duane Morris, was recently endorsed by THLA for election to the SDCBA Board of Directors, which she won. Patty has also been selected for inclusion in San Diego Super Lawyers, was named to the list of Top 50 Lawyers in San Diego and the list of Top 25 Women in San Diego. In addition, she is a Top Lawyer in San Diego (Trials), a San Diego County Top Attorney (Corporate Litigation) , and she was selected for San Diego Business Journal‘s Best of the Bar. Patty serves as a Master in the American Inns of Court, Louis M. Welsh Inn, and previously served as the President of Lawyers Club of San Diego. THLA is happy to award the 2017 Friend of the Community Award to our friend and longtime ally Patty Hollenbeck.
Dean Barbara Cox (Community Pioneer Award): Barbara has been at the forefront of LGBTQ+Q and marriage equality for decades. Her nominations note that she “has done amazing work on marriage equality and other LGBTQ+Q issues,” and was involved in early efforts to secure domestic partnership recognition and benefits in Wisconsin, which led to similar initiatives throughout the county. She was a member of the San Diego steering committee for the “No on Proposition 22” campaign and worked against the Proposition 8 ballot initiative. She chaired the Board of Directors of Freedom to Marry, Inc., the only national organization whose sole purpose was to win marriage equality for same-sex couples. Barbara is the Clara Shortridge Foltz Professor of Law and the Vice Dean for Academic Affairs at California Western School of Law. She has written over two dozen articles or book chapters concerning the marriages, civil unions, and domestic partnerships of same-sex couples, and has presented at numerous conferences on topics concerning the legal rights of same-sex couples. THLA is proud to award the 2017 Community Pioneer Award to Dean Barbara Cox.
Ellen Miller-Sharp (Friend of the Organization): Ellen has been instrumental in the success of THLA, the San Diego County Bar Association, and the numerous diversity bar organizations in San Diego. Through her relentless dedication to the SDCBA and organizations such as THLA, the diversity bars and their programs have thrived in the San Diego legal community, allowing for unparalleled programming and events in San Diego, including the San Diego City Attorney debate (hosted by THLA and other diverse bar organizations), as well as Dialogue on Diversity and Holidays Around the World. Ellen is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the San Diego County Bar Association, where she oversees the implementation and management of a myriad of programs, initiatives, innovations and services to support the SDCBA’s 10,000+ members and the public, including an award winning communications and outreach program, a comprehensive education center, an extensive governance structure and a diversified financial portfolio. Thanks to Ellen’s efforts, diversity remains strong and proud in the San Diego legal community. THLA is happy to award the 2017 Friend of the Organization Award to Ellen Miller-Sharp.
