FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
 
Media Contact: Raya Steier, 530-723-2426, rsteier@lccrsf.org

***PRESS RELEASE***

SAN FRANCISCO – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (LCCRSF) announced the recipients of its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards for civil rights advocacy today. 
 
Awardees will be honored at LCCRSF’s 36th Annual MLK Awards Dinner at the Hyatt Regency on Thursday, Feb. 16th, which will include remarks from Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw, recipient of the Living the Dream award. Dr. Crenshaw who co-founded the African American Policy Forum (AAPF), is a bicoastal professor of law at both UCLA and Columbia. Dr. Crenshaw is a revered legal scholar and has written extensively on civil rights, critical race theory, Black feminist legal theory, racism, and the law. Her work is foundational to critical race theory and has been censored by Florida’s ban on AP African American Studies curriculum by the College Board in recent days. Florida and other states’ “anti-WOKE” legislation to ban Dr. Crenshaw’s work is critical race theory in action. Dr. Crenshaw is a respected civil rights activist, outspoken voice for justice, and host of the Intersectionality Matters! Podcast.

“Now, more than ever, we need courageous and bold leadership on civil rights,” said Elica Vafaie, Interim Executive Director, LCCRSF. “Over the past year, our awardees’ have demonstrated their exceptional commitment to advocacy for racial, economic, and immigrant justice in California and across the country.” 

This year’s awardees include pro bono partners Arnold & Porter, LLP, for their work securing asylum for immigrants fleeing violence in their home countries; Anuar Ramirez-Medina of Seven Hills Law Firm for helping Bay Area small businesses stay afloat during the Covid pandemic; Jane Garcia of La Clínica de la Raza for her contribution and role in supporting the health of our immigrant communities; and law firm Fenwick & West, LLP for helping abolish unfair fines and fees across California.  

Community organizer Meg White will be honored for her effective organizing against police violence & outstanding community work with Justice Unites Individuals and Communities Everywhere (JUICE).  
 
“For over 50 years, our work advancing civil rights has been deeply rooted in strong partnerships within the Bay Area legal community,” said Elisa Della-Piana, Legal Director, LCCRSF. “We congratulate the awardees for dedicating their time and talents to help build a California we all deserve.” 
 
The Awards Dinner starts at 7 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency at 5 Embarcadero Center in San Francisco. To RSVP to LCCRSF’s 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Pro Bono Awards click on this link: https://lccrsf.org/2023-mlk-gala/ 

 
The full awardee list can be viewed below. 

###

• Living the Dream Award: Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw 
• James T. Caleshu Award: Anuar Ramirez-Medina, Seven Hills Law Firm 
• Father Cuchulain Moriarty Award: Arnold & Porter 
• Anthony F. Logan Award: Jane Garcia, La Clínica de la Raza 
• Keta Taylor Colby Award: Fenwick & West, LLP 
• Jack W. Londen Award: Meg White