Award of Special Merit
Established in 1988, the Award of Special Merit is presented by the Board of Governors to members of the State Bar of Arizona who have made significant contributions to the furtherance of public understanding of the legal system, the administration of justice, and confidence in the legal profession.
2020 Recipients
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Stacy Butler is the Director of the i4J Program and has two decades of experience in community advocacy and expanding the reach of civil legal services for under-represented populations. Her research focuses on the application of human-centered design and innovation to social justice issues including eviction, debt collection, domestic violence, regulatory reform, and online dispute resolution. Prior to launching the i4J Program, she worked in the United States District Court for the District of Arizona and served as an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. In 2017, Butler launched Step Up to Justice, a pro bono civil legal center that has delivered over $4.5 million in free civil legal services to low-income families. Butler earned a B.A. from Trinity University and a J.D. from the University of Arizona. |
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Denice R. Shepherd has been practicing in the areas of civil litigation, probates, guardianships, conservatorships and elder law since 1984. In 2016, she received the William H. Morris Legal Services Foundation Award for pro bono work. In 2012, Shepherd received the 2012 Eleanor ter Horst Probate award for contributions to probate law. Shepherd received the 2011 Arizona Supreme Court Pro Bono Attorney Award. She received the Southern Arizona Legal Aid 2010 Volunteer Lawyer of the Year Award. In 2016, she joined the Board of Directors for Step-Up to Justice, a pro-bono organization providing legal services to the poor. She was named Treasurer of the Board and still holds that position. Shepherd was named the Arizona Fiduciary Association’s member of the year for 2011 and 2012 and won the National Guardianship Association’s Affiliate Award in 2010. Shepherd served as a Judge Pro Tempore for various lower courts for 16 years. She has served on the Reid Park Zoological Society Board of Directors since 2005. In 2007 and 2008 she was President of the Board and currently holds the position of Board Emeritus She is a member of the Board’s finance committee and frequently serves as legal counsel to the Board. |
Previous Recipients
The award has been presented to:
1988 | Hon. Frank X. Gordon, Jr |
1989 | Not awarded |
1990 | Hon. L. Ray Haire |
1991 | Prof. Charles M. Smith Hon. Morris K. Udall |
1992 | Not awarded |
1993 | Mark I. Harrison Charles T. Stevens |
1994 | Hon. Nikki A. Chayet Patricia A. Sallen John M. Schlosser |
1995 | E. Calvin Fuchs II Duke Nordlinger Stern |
1996 | Christopher Johns |
1997 | Michael M. Grant |
1998 | Not awarded |
1999 | Hon. Norman S. Fenton |
2000 | Sen. Marc L. Spitzer Hon. Thomas A. Zlaket |
2001 | Timothy M. Hogan Norman L. Miller |
2002 | Daniel Cracchiolo |
2003 | Walter Cheifetz |
2004 | Hon. Edward E. Davis (posthumously) |
2005 | Frances L. Johansen |
2006 | Anthony W. Clark Susan R. Agrillo Norma L. Classen |
2007 | Theodore Campagnolo Hon. Gary E. Donahoe |
2008 | Larry C. McVey Sidney T. Marable (posthumously) |
2009 | John W. Rogers |
2010 | Gary R. Stickell Alex E. Navidad |
2011 | Hon. Daniel A. Barker James W. Richardson |
2012 | Hon. Ann A. Scott Timmer Stephen Weiss |
2013 | Mark E. Meltzer |
2014 | William W. Owsley |
2015 | David B. Rosenbaum |
2016 | Gary M. Kula |
2017 | Robert L. Gottsfield |
2018 | Hon. Michael P. Pollard |
2019 | Hon. Dan R. Slayton |
2020 | Stacy Rupprecht Butler Denice R. Shepherd |
This page is managed by Carrie Sherman
State Bar Annual Awards
- Award of Appreciation
- Award of Special Merit
- Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award
- Hon. John R. Sticht Disability Achievement Award
- James A. Walsh Outstanding Jurist Award
- Member of the Year Award
- Michael C. Cudahy Criminal Justice Award
- Outstanding In-House Counsel of the Year Award
- President's Award
- Sharon A. Fullmer Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award
- Tom Karas Criminal Justice Award