The Minnesota State Bar Association (MSBA) Legal Assistance to the Disadvantaged Committee is pleased to announce its annual Bernard P. Becker awards for outstanding legal services work. The awards will be presented to the 2017 honorees at the April 21 MSBA Assembly meeting in Minneapolis. 

• Law Student: Jessica Grady Federico, Mitchell Hamline School of Law
• Advocate: Elsa Marshall, Legal Services State Support
• Legacy of Excellence: Delaney Russell, Volunteer Lawyers Network
• Emerging Leader: Luke Grundman, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid

These exemplary recipients have demonstrated a commitment to providing skilled and zealous legal representation and advocacy to low-income Minnesotans, as illustrated in the following summaries of their significant contributions. Congratulations to the 2017 award winners!

Legacy of Excellence
Martha Delaney, Volunteer Lawyers Network
During her 14-year tenure at VLN, Ms. Delaney established the popular Family Law Clinic at the Hennepin County Family Justice Center; improved VLN’s service delivery model by creating high-quality attorney education programs, including the widely popular Breaking Poverty Barriers training; and improved the way VLN measures client outcomes. She has a national presence in the area of pro bono service delivery and she works to collaborate with client groups.

Advocate
Elsa Marshall, Legal Services State Support
Ms. Marshall has spent the last 20 years expanding legal aid’s statewide impact through organizing community education outreach events for Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid and developing and updating an impressive library of hundreds of self help legal materials, including translation into several languages.

Emerging Leader
Luke Grundman, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid
In his 10 years working at legal aid, Mr. Grundman has worn many hats to benefit the program and clients, including combating the discriminatory effects of the foreclosure crisis; undertaking policy and legislative work in the areas of consumer and housing law; and running the medical-legal partnership at the Hennepin County Medical Center’s Whittier Clinic. Luke now manages the Housing unit at MMLA.

Law Student
Jessica Federico, Mitchell Hamline School of Law
Ms. Federico is a 3L at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. She has maintained a high GPA while volunteering over 400 hours at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota; the Street Law program; the Department of Justice Immigration Court; Fredrikson & Byron and Lindquist & Vennum’s Pro Bono Departments; and the Mitchell-Hamline Immigration Clinic.