Access to Justice Awards Gala Honors People Who Help People in Need
Dayton's longest serving commissioner, a prolific attorney and author, and a parent who became an accomplished advocate for students' rights will be honored at the 2016 Access to Justice Awards Gala.
Event details
* this page may be updated if event is repeated in the future *
Access to Justice Awards Gala Honors People Who Help People in Need
Dayton's longest serving commissioner, a prolific attorney and author, and a parent who became an accomplished advocate for students’ rights will be honored at the 2016 Access to Justice Awards Gala scheduled for Thursday, November 3, 2016 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Sinclair Community College Ponitz Center. Award recipients were chosen by an independent selection committee from nominations submitted by the public.
In addition, the Honorable Mary Wiseman of the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court was selected to receive the Distinguished Service Award by the Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project, Advocates for Basic Legal Equality and Legal Aid of Western Ohio.
Guests may register for the gala at www.campaign4equaljustice.org, kharshaw@ablelaw.org or by calling (937) 535-4432. Tickets are $150 Grand Patron and $100 Patron. The deadline is October 28. The event is an upscale reception with entertainment and cash bar. Business attire. Sponsorships, ads and tables are available.
About the Award Recipients
Merle Wilberding, an attorney with Coolidge Wall Co., L.P.A, is the recipient of the Lloyd O’Hara Public Interest Law Award for his extraordinary efforts to combat the underlying cause of many injustices in our community. By educating at-risk youths on how laws and the justice system work to create a peaceful and fair society, and by helping them know their legal rights, Wilberding has provided these youth with ways combat bullying in our schools and society. Wilberding, an accomplished attorney from austere beginnings, has developed activity books designed to uplift at-risk students. Free copies have been distributed to more than 40,000 students in the state.
Zakiya Sankara-Jabar is the recipient of a Community Advocacy Award for her efforts to address race equity in the schools. She is co-founder and director of Racial Justice NOW! When her three-year-old child was "pushed out" of school, Sankara-Jabar went to work addressing suspensions and exclusionary discipline rates that are disproportionate among minorities and low-income students. Her work has prompted policy changes at local, state and national levels.
A staunch advocate for the needy and most vulnerable residents of our community, Dean Lovelace is the recipient of a Community Impact Award. Lovelace recently retired after 22 years as the longest serving Dayton City Commissioner. Commissioner Lovelace’s has challenged banks against predatory lending, advocated for “living wages,” and pressed for reinvestment in economically challenged communities.
The Honorable Mary Wiseman of the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court is being recognized with a Distinguished Service Award for her ardent support of legal aid programs and pro bono legal assistance in the Miami Valley. Judge Wiseman has served as president of the GDVLP and on the boards of trustees for ABLE and LAWO. A past attorney with Coolidge Wall Co., L.P.A. and former Dayton City Commissioner, her commitment to serving under-privileged area residents has been evident on the bench and in her community service.
Contact: Karla Garrett Harshaw
kharshaw@ablelaw.org
(937) 535-4432
Links & Tags
Sinclair Community College
Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, Inc..
