Mark I. Harrison Excellence in Mentorship Award

Created in 2021, the Mark I. Harrison Excellence in Mentorship Award is presented to a legal professional who has devoted extraordinary energy and sustained attention to mentoring others in the legal community, who has avidly promoted the development and careers of individuals from diverse and historically underrepresented groups in the legal profession, and who has inspired and fostered engagement of others in activities that reflect the highest ethics and ideals of the legal profession, such as significant pro bono, public and community service.

2022 Recipient

Cynthia L. Choate, a native Arizonan, received her B.S. in Broadcasting from ASU and her J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law. She began her career as judicial law clerk, was in private practice in Los Angeles and Tucson, and served as an Arizona Assistant Attorney General. In 2002, Cynthia joined Farmers Insurance as a trial attorney and began mentoring the next generation of trial lawyers. At the time of her recent retirement, she was a Division Attorney overseeing 11 legal offices in 7 states.

Cynthia served on the Arizona Supreme Court Disciplinary Commission (2000–2006) and was a member of Arizona Women Lawyers and Pima County Bar Associations, Tucson Defense Bar, and Morris K. Udall Inn of Court. Nationally, she was an active member of American Bar Association Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section’s Committees on Diversity in the Profession, Law in Public Service, and Staff Counsel. Cynthia’s most rewarding community involvement remains working with the Legal Community Against Hunger.

Cynthia is humbled to receive this award named after Mark Harrison, who she respected immensely. She thanks her own inspiring mentors and sponsors: Hon. Aurelio Munoz, Hon. Charles Pyle, Pamela Treadwell-Rubin, and James Farley.