2010 NLADA Exemplar Award Dinner Honorees

Justice John Paul Stevens Lifetime Achievement Award

Honoring Justice John Paul Stevens

In honor of a lifetime of service as a champion of justice, NLADA is pleased to present the 2010 NLADA Justice John Paul Stevens Award to John Paul Stevens, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. After more than 34 years, Justice Stevens leaves the Supreme Court with a legacy of uncompromising dedication to the rule of law. He is widely known for understanding how the law impacts the lives of everyday American people. Justice Stevens received his J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law and began his legal career in 1947 by serving as a clerk to Supreme Court Justice Wiley Rutledge. His clerkship was followed by several years in private practice. In 1969, the Greenberg Commission named Justice Stevens as their counsel during the investigation of corruption by two Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justices. Stevens’ role on the Commission gained him wide notoriety leading him to the appointment of Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in 1970. On December 19, 1975, President Gerald Ford nominated Stevens as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. He was confirmed 98-0 by the Senate. On June 29, 2010, after more than 34 years, Justice Stevens retired as the third-longest serving justice in the Court’s history. Throughout his tenure on the bench, Justice Stevens maintained a moderate voice that championed civil rights issues, the death penalty and the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Stevens’ opinion for the Court in Atkins v. Virginia (2002), which reversed a 13-year precedent to outlaw the execution of mentally retarded citizens, is largely thought to have set the stage for the eventual abolition of the juvenile death penalty. Stevens’ views on affirmative action and integration in schools changed during his tenure, declaring in 2007 that “children of all races benefit from integrated classrooms and playgrounds.” In a key, landmark decision involving national security, Stevens crossed the liberal-conservative divide by writing two important opinions, Rasul v. Bush (2004) and Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2006). The opinions stressed the Court’s duty to ensure fair treatment for those viewed most unfavorably in our society, even when national security is at issue. He went on to say “[I]f this Nation is to remain true to the ideals symbolized by its flag, it must not wield the tools of tyrants even to resist an assault by the forces of tyranny.” For a lifetime of dedication to justice for all Americans, NLADA is proud to honor Justice John Paul Stevens.

2010 Exemplar Award

Honoring Rick Cotton

To honor his many years of service as a champion for access to justice and contributions to legal assistance for people unable to pay for a lawyer, NLADA is pleased to present the 2010 Exemplar Award to Rick Cotton, executive vice president and general counsel of NBC Universal. Under Cotton’s leadership, the NBC Universal Legal Department embraced a goal of having 50 percent of its lawyers participate in pro bono projects, while its recent public oriented activities focus on a wide range of organizations, including Street Law and Alliance for Children’s Rights, among others. In 2010 the NBCU West Coast legal team won the Los Angeles County Bar Corporate Law Department Pro Bono Award, and in December 2008 a member of the company’s West Coast team accepted the GE Pro Bono Award, which is given annually to a single lawyer in the worldwide GE legal organization in recognition of outstanding pro bono work. In the 1970s, Cotton served as special counsel and managing attorney for the Concord office of New Hampshire, where he secured representation for individuals without the means to pay for a lawyer. In the mid 1980s, while in private practice, he successfully litigated a major pro bono case in defense of funding for national support centers, which served as a resource to attorneys representing at-risk and underserved clients, including older Americans, Native Americans, immigrants and migrant workers. In the 1990s Cotton spent eight years as the chair of the board of the Primary Care Development Corporation, which provides financing and expert support for health centers in underserved communities in New York. He currently serves as the Chair of the Dean’s Council at the NYU School of Public Service. Rick Cotton was named to his current position in August 2004. He supervises the NBC Universal Law Department, which provides legal advice to all NBC Universal business units for their ongoing operations and for new strategic plans and acquisitions. In addition, he oversees NBC Universal’s global regulatory and legislative agenda, including the company’s worldwide anti-piracy efforts. Cotton served as law clerk to Judge J. Skelly Wright of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1969 to 1970 and to Justice William J. Brennan Jr. of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1970 to 1971. For his commitment to access to justice, NLADA is pleased to honor Rick Cotton.