Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award
Established in October 2015, the Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award is presented by the Board of Governors to an attorney, judge, employer, organization, or bar association that significantly advances diversity and inclusion in the Arizona legal community through creative, strategic, or innovative efforts.
2023 Recipient
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Amanda Chua is a Commissioner for the Maricopa County Superior Court. She currently presides over requests for Title 14 guardianships and immigration dependency cases in juvenile court. Amanda was born and raised in the Philadelphia area. She attended Johns Hopkins University and Washington and Lee Law School. In 2004, Amanda served as a Public Defender for the City of Tucson, and in 2007, she moved to the Phoenix area to practice in various areas of civil litigation. Amanda has worked tirelessly to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession. Amanda was a founding liaison that formed the Arizona Collaborative Bar, a professional friendship amongst 10 sister bars that has lasted since 2015 that received this same award in 2017. Amanda is the current chair of the Maricopa County Bar Association Equity Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Amanda also currently serves on the boards of both the Arizona Asian American Bar Association (AAABA) and the Maricopa Chapter of Arizona Women Lawyers Association (AWLA). When Amanda isn’t engaged with professional legal activities, she has volunteered her time for over 15 years playing violin with the Tempe Symphony Orchestra which is one of the few community orchestras that still provides free concerts to the public. Amanda enjoys most of all spending time with her family being the “fun Auntie” to her three nephews and niece. |
Previous Recipients
The award has been presented to:
2016 | Indian Legal Program at Arizona State University, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law |
2017 | Arizona Collaborative Bar |
2018 | Los Abogados Hispanic Bar Association |
2019 | Hon. Randall M. Howe James P. O'Sullivan |
2020 | Hon. David B. Gass Ashley Villaverde Halvorson |
2021 | Hon. Carol Scott Berry (ret.) |
2022 | Hon. Frankie Jones |
2023 | Hon. Amanda Chua |
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
- Mark I. Harrison Excellence in Mentorship 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