IAALS presents two awards annually: the Rebuilding Justice Award and the Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award. IAALS also presents a Founders Award to individuals who have made significant and sustained contributions to IAALS and its mission.

Rebuilding Justice Award

The Rebuilding Justice Award recognizes individuals who exemplify the spirit of innovation and leadership that we champion as we work toward building a legal system that is accessible, fair, reliable, efficient, and accountable.

The first recipient of the award was U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (Ret.) in 2007. Over the years, IAALS has given the award to chief justices of state supreme courts, legislators, federal district court judges, legal educators, philanthropists, and others. Until 2012, the honor was known as the Transparent Courthouse Award.

The award is presented annually in April at the Rebuilding Justice Award Dinner. Learn more about our 2025 dinner.

Our 2025 recipients:

  • Colorado Licensed Legal Paraprofessionals (LLP) Committee Leaders:
    • Judge Angela R. Arkin (Ret.), Judicial Arbiter Group, Inc.
    • Judge Adam Espinosa, Denver District Court
    • Amy Goscha, Attorney, Kalamaya | Goscha
    • Maha Kamal, Attorney, Colorado Family Law Project
    • David Stark, Partner (Ret.), Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
    • Judge Jennifer Torrington, Denver District Court
    • Jessica Yates, Attorney Regulation Counsel, Colorado Supreme Court

Click here for the full list of past recipients.

Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award

The Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award recognizes innovators who have made significant impacts early in their careers toward making the American legal system work better for everyone. The award is designed to encourage and showcase innovators, risk takers, visionaries, and emerging leaders who bring a different perspective and a reform-minded approach to the improvement of our legal system. Candidates should be early in their legal careers to be eligible, roughly the first 15 years.

IAALS solicits nominations for the award between September 1 and November 1 each year. More information about the award, selection process, and nomination guidelines is available here.

Recipients of the Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award are:

Founders Award

The Founders Award is reserved for individuals who have made significant and sustained contributions to IAALS and its mission to unlock innovations that make our civil justice system more just. The award celebrates transformative leadership, innovation, and inspiration akin to IAALS’ Founders.

Recipients of the Founders Award are:

  • 2025: Sam Walker