Seeking Nominations for Four New BIDS-Wide Awards

by Meryl Carver-Allmond, BIDS Training Director

“What is THAT?” I exclaimed with great interest, on a recent visit to the Sedgwick County Public Defender Office. I was staring at a plastic Infinity Gauntlet (yes, from the Marvel movies) affixed to a trophy base with names and case numbers etched onto plaques on the bottom. I knew that Sedgwick County had historically recognized trial wins with their infamous wall of verdict forms, but this was something else.

My guide, attorney Jorge DeHoyos, explained that the wall was no more, and this award had taken its place. “For the old wall you had to beat every single count at trial, but the new award is given when the team representing the client beats the highest charge,” Jorge said.

The physical form that the award has taken is haphazard. (“The Thanos glove was sitting around, so we slapped it together to make a trophy.”) But as Jorge went on, I quickly realized that the thoughtfulness behind it is epic enough to justify its superhero lineage.

“While we recognized that the wall was great to display our successes, success as a PD is not defined as winning all counts in a trial.  Success is creating real change in people’s lives. If you beat the highest level charge in the case, you’re making real change.”

And that’s not the only way this new trophy re-focuses on what’s important. The plaques on the trophy list only the case number, last name of the client, and the date the charge was beat. In that way, not only is it more client-centered, it also recognizes that each win is the effort of a whole team of public defenders and support staff – not just one attorney.

I asked what would happen when the base of the trophy was full. “When it’s full, we’ll make another one,” Jorge said. “There are 16 more spaces, and when it’s full, we will re-evaluate.  It’s not, ‘Look at our wall of stuff from the 80s.’ It’s ‘Look at what we’re doing right now.’  And [having a trophy with a finite number of spaces] creates a natural ability to reflect on recognizing what is success in this office.”

As Jorge summed up, “What matters is that we represent our clients to the best of our abilities. If you beat the lead charge that shows the willingness to be courageous, to be brave, to be bold.”

***

For a few years now, I’ve been stewing on the idea of BIDS-wide awards to better recognize the exceptional work that Kansas public defenders and staff do, day in and day out. Not just recognition of trial wins, but awards that really take into account what an ideal public defender should be striving towards and what victory looks like as part of a client-centered team.

But talking to Jorge about Sedgwick County’s new award inspired me to do more than just stew. With input from the Well-Being Committee, I am instituting, and seeking nominations for, four new BIDS-wide awards. 

1. Teamwork Award. This award will go to a colleague who is constantly lifting others up – the person who brings donuts when everyone is having a rough week or consistently comes in at the wire with the help you need.

2. Excellence in Written Advocacy Award. This award will go to a colleague who has written a fierce motion or a concise, spot-on brief that eloquently sets out why their client should win their case.

3. Compassion for Clients Award. This award will go to a colleague who has gone above and beyond to help or support either an individual client or our clients generally (e.g., through a special project or advocacy work outside of a specific legal case).   

4. Zealous Advocate Award.  This award will go to a colleague who, win or lose, went to the mat for a client with hard work, creative advocacy, and sheer nerve.  

To nominate a colleague for an award, email mcarver@sbids.org with their name, the award they are being nominated for, and a short paragraph or two explaining why you think they are deserving.  (For the Excellence in Written Advocacy Award, please attach the piece of writing, too.) The deadline for nominations is March 30th, and awards are open to both attorneys and support staff. Once the nominations have been submitted, an ad hoc committee will be formed to choose the winners, who will be announced at the June BIDS CLE.

These awards may become a tradition or we may re-evaluate them in a year or two. But either way, I hope that, for now, they will recognize the courageous, brave, bold, public defenders and staff we have working in Kansas.