Kutak Rock attorney Jennifer Blunt will host a Facebook Live panel November 11 as part of the National Legal Aid & Defender Association’s (NLADA) annual conference. The Kutak-Dodds Prize Panel, titled “Transformative Leadership: Kutak-Dodds Awardees in Conversation,” features former recipients and is viewable by anyone on Facebook. Visit the NLADA Facebook page at 11 a.m. Eastern to watch. A recording of the live video will also be available afterward.
The panel discussion will center around career development in the former Prize awardees’ respective civil and criminal legal aid fields, and how their work has been impacted by recent racial equity efforts. The panelists, who include Teresa Enriquez, Ishmael Jaffree and Adeola Ogunkeyede, will describe how overcoming personal and professional adversity can lead to an impactful and fulfilling law career.
Each year NLADA bestows two Kutak-Dodds Prizes, in the amount of $10,000, to honor the accomplishments of civil legal aid attorneys, public defenders, assigned counsel, or public interest lawyers who, through the practice of law, are significantly contributing to the enhancement of human dignity and quality of life of those individuals who are unable to afford legal representation.
Established in 1989, the Prizes are jointly sponsored by the Robert J. Kutak Foundation and NLADA and bestowed in memory of Robert J. Kutak and Kenneth R. Dodds. Both men were partners in the Omaha, Nebraska, office of Kutak Rock and practitioners and advocates of public service, legal education, and high ethical standards throughout their lives. In addition to legal services for the poor, the Kutak Foundation supports education in professional ethics and other public interest projects. The foundation is maintained by Mr. Kutak’s former friends and associates.
More information on the Kutak-Dodds Prizes and a list of previous winners is available on the NLADA website. The NLADA annual conference titled, “Redefining Justice,” takes place both online and in-person in Nashville, Tennessee November 9-12.