The following LBA members have been recognized for notable contributions to the Louisville legal community and beyond. The LBA will be honoring these members at the 2021 Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, November 17
at the Ice House at 11 a.m.

To purchase tickets to the luncheon, CLICK HERE or contact Marisa Motley at mmotley@loubar.org or 583-5314.
Please RSVP by Friday, November 12.

Judge of the Year
Hon. David J. Hale

After serving as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, Hon. David J. Hale was appointed U. S. District Court judge in 2014. During his time on the bench, he has forged a reputation as a fair and reasonable jurist whose rulings reflect sound legal analysis. A life member of the Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference, he serves on the board of the Federal Judges Association and the advisory board of the John G. Heyburn II Initiative for Excellence in the Federal Judiciary. In 2016, he led efforts to establish Kentucky’s first federal Veterans Treatment Court which assists justice-involved veterans in obtaining needed rehabilitative, mental health and social services. He was also instrumental in helping establish the LBA’s new Federal Courts Section which launched earlier this year.

Justice Martin E. Johnstone Special Recognition Award
Neva-Marie Polley Scott

Neva-Marie Polley Scott has dedicated her professional life to making sure justice is accessible to all regardless of socio-economic status. Early in her career, she served as a public defender, representing indigent criminal defendants charged with everything from misdemeanor traffic offenses to Class A felonies. Upon joining the Legal Aid Society in 2005, she helped establish the Domestic Violence Advocacy Program which assists low-income victims of domestic violence in obtaining protective orders against their abusers. Later she helped implement additional volunteer-driven projects to assist children, veterans and the homeless. For the past six years, she has served as Legal Aid’s executive director, leading it in providing free civil legal assistance to people living in poverty in Jefferson County and 14 surrounding counties.

Distinguished Service Award
Angela L. Edwards
Susan D. Phillips
Leo G. Smith

As past-presidents of the LBA, Angela L. Edwards and Susan D. Phillips are keenly aware of the organization’s need for a strong chief staff executive. This year, along with Leo G. Smith, they took on the task of working with LBA officers and a consulting firm to conduct a national search for the LBA’s executive director. Taking time away from their busy practices, they spent countless hours outlining essential skill sets, reviewing resumes and interviewing candidates for this important position. As a result of their collective efforts, the LBA enters its 122nd year with a dynamic new leader, Kristen Miller, at the helm.

Judge Benjamin F. Shobe Civility & Professionalism Award
D. Scott Furkin

Throughout a 40-year career that includes private practice, government service and leading roles in the non-profit sector, D. Scott Furkin has been a model of professionalism and civility. A self-described “bar junkie,” he has volunteered at every level of the LBA from section and committee chair to board member and executive officer, including service as the organization’s president in 2004. For the past 14+ years, he has served as the LBA’s executive director where he has consistently provided sound fiscal management, staff supervision and high-quality programming while also acting as the organization’s liaison to the courts and other local, state and national entities. His good humor and steady leadership have helped make the LBA one of the most successful metropolitan bar associations in the country.

Paul G. Tobin Pro Bono Service Award
Hon. Shelley M. Santry

Prior to her elevation to the Jefferson Family Court bench earlier this year, for more than a decade Hon. Shelley M. Santry served as director of the Brandeis School of Law’s Ackerson Law Clinic through which law students provide in-court representation to domestic violence victims and tenants facing eviction. She also created the Mediation Clinic through which law students assist low-income pro se clients in divorce, custody and paternity cases. In addition to giving participating students practical hands-on instruction, she has instilled in them the virtue of donating legal services to those who cannot afford to pay an attorney. Because of her influence, attorneys throughout the community are now engaged in pro bono work in their practices and through projects organized by the LBA, Legal Aid Society and others.

Daniel M. Alvarez Champion for Justice Award
Rep. Nima Kulkarni

It is not surprising that Rep. Nima Kulkarni, who was born in India and moved to the U.S. with her parents at age six, was drawn to immigration law. Since founding her own firm in 2010, she has worked tirelessly to help both workers from other countries secure positions in the U.S. and businesses who want to bring workers from other countries for employment here. In 2018, she became the first Indian-American elected to the Kentucky General Assembly where she has made labor, education, healthcare and immigration her top legislative priorities. This spring, amidst an alarming national rise in hate crimes against Asian-Americans, she organized a local rally at Waterfront Park to draw attention to the issue and call for an end to racial and ethnic stereotyping.

Robert and Frank E. Haddad Jr. Young Lawyer Award
Danielle M. Yannelli

After graduating from the Brandeis School of Law in 2013, Danielle M. Yannelli went to work as an Assistant Jefferson County Attorney. In 2016, she joined Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney where she’s been first chair in 15 jury trials – three this year alone since jury trials resumed in Jefferson Circuit Court following the COVID-19 moratorium. She serves as deputy division chief of the Special Victims Unit where she conducts daily district court screenings evaluating cases for potential felony prosecutions. In the early stages of her career, she has demonstrated the skill, work ethic and commitment to excellence personified by this award’s namesakes.

Committee of the Year
Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Maria A. Fernandez and John E. Selent

Public Service Committee
Sarah M. McKenna and Michelle L. Duncan

The honors this year are shared by the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, led by Maria A. Fernandez and John E. Selent, and the Public Service Committee, led by Sarah M. McKenna with assistance from Michelle L. Duncan of the Charles W. Anderson Jr. Chapter of the National Bar Association. Both committees produced a series of public-facing webinars with content ranging from the legacy of slavery in Kentucky and proliferation of proposed anti-transgender legislation to racial trauma, domestic violence and the eviction crisis. These webinars not only contributed meaningful insights to community conversations about these timely topics, they helped fill a gap in LBA programming as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to preclude in-person meetings.

Section of the Year
Health Law Section
Josh Lee Stearns, Chair
Patricia C. Le Meur, Vice Chair

This year, the Health Law Section, led by Joshua L. Stearns and Patricia C. Le Meur, excelled in disseminating useful information – both in the form of continuing legal education programs and substantive articles for Bar Briefs – to members and non-members alike. It also held a well-attended virtual “happy hour” to help its members stay connected during the ongoing global pandemic. In so doing, it exemplified the value of LBA sections as the place where professional colleagues meet to network, share practice tips and discuss the latest developments in their chosen areas of law.