2021 PROFESSIONALISM AWARDS RECIPIENTS

 

ORANGE COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES 2021 PROFESSIONALISM AWARDS RECIPIENTS

ORLANDO, FL… The Orange County Bar Association (OCBA) is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2021 Professionalism Awards. The James G. Glazebrook Memorial Bar Service Award, the William Trickel, Jr. Professionalism Award, and the Lawrence G. Mathews, Jr. Young Lawyer Professionalism Award recipients, who are nominated by their peers, are attorneys whose conduct and career stands as a model of success built on unquestioned professionalism.

This James G. Glazebrook Memorial Bar Service Award is presented to a state or federal jurist who best demonstrates service to and support of the legal profession and the Legal Aid Society of the OCBA, is dedicated to professionalism both in and out of the courtroom, and is a leader in promoting professionalism, including civility, integrity, and respect for the legal system. The 2021 recipient of the James G. Glazebrook Memorial Bar Service Award is The Honorable Lisa T. Munyon, Circuit Judge, Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. The Central Florida Association for Women Lawyers nominated Judge Munyon for her dedication to professionalism both in and out of the courtroom. She was appointed to the Workgroup on Continuity of Court Operations During and After COVID-19 by Florida Supreme Court Justice Charles Canady and has chaired the Florida Courts Technology Commission since 2012. She has also been praised for her collaborative work with the Clerks of Courts across the state of Florida, and has been a visiting associate judge on the Fifth District Court of Appeal on five different occasions.

The William Trickel, Jr. Professionalism Award is presented to an attorney who has practiced law for 15 or more years. The 2021 recipient of the William Trickel, Jr. Professionalism Award is Suzanne Gilbert, Partner, Holland & Knight, Orlando. Ms. Gilbert has been practicing law in Central Florida for over 24 years. She has served on the Ninth Judicial Circuit Professionalism Panel for over 5 years, furthering the professionalism of the local bar by participating in the investigation of complaints filed within the panel. She also serves on the board of the Legal Aid Society of the OCBA and has represented the OCBA in the American Bar Association’s House of Delegates for the last ten years.

The Lawrence G. Mathews, Jr. Young Lawyer Professionalism Award is presented to an attorney who has practiced law for less than 15 years. The 2021 recipient of the Lawrence G. Mathews, Jr. Young Lawyer Professionalism Award is Lisa Gong Guerrero, Assistant State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. Ms. Gong Guerrero has spent her entire legal career in the State Attorney’s Office and is currently the County Court Bureau Chief, managing the day-to-day operations for the County Court Bureau. She serves as a mentor, trainer, and supervisor for new prosecutors joining the State Attorney’s Office. She was also a founding member of the Greater Orlando Asian American Bar Association (GOAABA), a voluntary bar association that advances the interests of Asian-American legal professionals. She has been very active in the OCBA, having served as Chair of the OCBA’s Criminal Law Committee, and is currently a member of the OCBA Executive Council.

The Orange County Bar Association will present its annual Professionalism Awards Ceremony virtually on Thursday, March 25, 2021 from Noon to 1:00 p.m. For more information or to RSVP visit the Orange County Bar Association’s website at https://www.orangecountybar.org/.

The Orange County Bar Association, established in 1933, is a voluntary association comprised of 3,000+ judges, attorneys, and other legal professionals whose mission is to serve the profession and the public with outstanding member and community programs. The association established and supports the work of the OCBA Foundation, Inc., and the Legal Aid Society of the Orange County Bar Association, Inc.