DRLC Staff and Board Member Recipients of 2008 LAAC Awards
DRLC staff member, Naomi Arakawa, was awarded the Legal Aid Association of California (LAAC) Award of Merit in the Support Staff category. Naomi is being recognized for impeccable support of the Education Advocacy Project (EAP), and most currently, as the office coordinator for the DRLC. Naomi Arakawa joined the EAP in May of 2006. With Naomi’s administrative support, the EAP was able to serve over 1,000 children with disabilities and their families. In January 2008, Naomi became the office coordinator and now provides administrative support for the entire organization. Naomi will be accepting her LAAC award at the Pathways to Justice Conference, June 5 - 7, 2008, at the Marriot Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.
Rick Kneeshaw, DRLC's former client and current board member, will also receive the Legal Aid Association of California (LAAC) Award of Merit awarded to a client engaged in advocacy for a legal aid program. The award is based on Rick's advocacy as a client in Kneeshaw v. San Diego Zoological Society, which successfully challenged discriminatory entrance policies for people who use wheelchairs and scooters at the San Diego Zoo. The award also recognizes his work in the post-polio community and his contributions to the DRLC as a new board member and frequent outreach speaker. Click here for more information on the LAAC awards at the Pathways to Justice Conference in Los Angeles in June.
Paula Pearlman, DRLC Executive Director, received the 2007 LAAC Award of Merit for an Attorney.