Michael C. Cudahy Criminal Justice Award
Established in March 2006, this award recognizes that criminal law prosecutor who has worked tirelessly to advance the principles of criminal justice by representing the public’s interest with integrity, fairness, tenacity, creativity, brilliance and, above all, professionalism.
2025 Recipient
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Gary Restaino was a federal prosecutor at the United States Attorney’s Office in Arizona from 2003 to 2025. From November 2021 until February 2025 he was the Presidentially-appointed United States Attorney for the District. In that role he led the Office’s victim-centric approach to justice in alien smuggling cases along the border and in violent crime investigations in Indian Country, he expanded civil rights prosecutions, and he supported second chance and reentry opportunities. Early in his tenure as United States Attorney, Gary was appointed by the Attorney General to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee as the regional representative for the Ninth Circuit, to provide policy advice and a voice from the field. He also served for ninety days in the spring and summer of 2022 as the Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, pursuant to the Vacancies Reform Act. Prior to becoming a prosecutor, Gary worked at various times as a civil rights attorney at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, a legal aid lawyer representing farmworkers with Community Legal Services, and as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay. He graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law, and he earned his undergraduate degree from Haverford College. |
Previous Recipients
The award has been presented to:
| 2006 | Rick A. Unklesbay |
| 2007 | Paul K. Charlton |
| 2008 | Daniel G. Knauss Kathleen A. Mayer |
| 2009 | Barbara LaWall |
| 2010 | Sandra M. Hansen |
| 2011 | Beth A. Anderson |
| 2012 | Sheila Polk |
| 2013 | Hon. Randall M. Howe Hon. Kent Cattani |
| 2014 | Theodore Campagnolo |
| 2015 | Kellie L. Johnson |
| 2016 | James Alan Goodwin |
| 2017 | Hon. John S. Leonardo |
| 2018 | Kimberly H. Ortiz |
| 2019 | Ryan P. Green |
| 2020 | Bill R. Hughes |
| 2021 | Kent Volkmer |
| 2022 | Elizabeth Burton Ortiz |
| 2023 | Bradley W. Carlyon |
| 2024 | William P. Ring |
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