2013 Victims’ Rights Award Winners Announced
2013 Victims’ Rights Award Winners
NCVLI’s annual Crime Victim Law Conference provides the opportunity to pause and acknowledge the amazing work of the heroes and heroines of the victims’ rights movement. These are the people who help victims move toward survivorship and who inspire the rest of us to continue fighting for justice each day. Please join NCVLI as we honor these amazing people.
Outstanding Achievement Awards
Russell Butler, JD
2013 Legal Advocacy Award
NCVLI’s Legal Advocacy Award recognizes crime victims’ rights attorneys who have dedicated and committed their time to representing victims of crime in the criminal justice system.
Russell P. Butler, JD, serves as Executive Director of the Maryland Crime Victims’ Resource Center, Inc. (MCVRC). Russell has litigated for victims in trial and appellate courts in Maryland, and beyond. Russell serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Baltimore Law School teaching “The Rights of Crime Victims” starting in 2005 and he served in 2007 as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Baltimore teaching a graduate course in criminal justice regarding victims. From 1985 to 2002, Russell served as lobbyist for the Stephanie Roper Committee, Inc., and as legal counsel for the Stephanie Roper Foundation, Inc. He has successfully advocated for numerous statutes and court rules; most recently, he drafted and Maryland adopted House Bill 250 which allows victims to file a direct appeal to the appellate court and for the court to provide a remedy for the violation of a victim’s rights. Click here to learn more.
Chanpone Sinlapasai, JD
2013 Gail Burns-Smith Excellence in Victim Services Award
A member of our Board of Directors from 2002 until her untimely death in 2009, Gail Burns-Smith was a tireless leader in the victim services community. This award honors her legacy by recognizing outstanding efforts to advance the rights of crime victims.
Chanpone Sinlapasai-Okamura, JD, was a refugee from Laos. After living in a refugee camp in Thailand for over a year her family resettled in California. She was raised in northern California and was the first in her family to attend college. Chanpone ultimately attended Lewis & Clark Law School. Seeing the cultural, linguistic, and social barriers that her family faced in resettling in the United States, Chanpone knew that her passion was advocating for vulnerable populations. She started her career by working and volunteering to assist survivors of crime at Immigrant Refugee Community Organization and Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services. Chanpone is now a partner at Marandas & McClellan where she focuses on immigration law and specializes in assisting survivors of crime. Click here to learn more.
Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST)
2013 Victims’ Rights Partnership Award
NCVLI’s Victims’ Rights Partnership Award recognizes the collaborative efforts of individuals and/or organizations who have devoted their time to advancing crime victims’ rights.
The Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST) is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual human rights organization. CAST provides comprehensive long-term services through a three-pronged empowerment approach which includes Comprehensive Client Services (social and legal), Outreach and Training, and Survivor-led advocacy. CAST’s mission is to assist persons trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and slavery-like practices and to work toward ending all instances of such human rights violations. CAST has been nationally and internationally recognized for its dedication to the identification of victims, mobilization of all sectors of the community to identify and advocate against trafficking, and provision of direct services for victims. Click here to learn more.
2013 NCVLI Service Awards
Perkins Coie, LLP
2013 Pro Bono of the Year
NCVLI’s Pro Bono Award recognizes an attorney or firm who has dedicated significant time to partnering with NCVLI in the protection, enforcement, and advancement of victims’ rights. The recipient has either worked alongside NCVLI attorneys to assist with NCVLI’s work on legal technical assistance requests, amicus curiae briefs, and public policy projects; has provided direct representation to victims of crime in criminal proceedings; or, has served as local counsel in the filing of amicus briefs.
With more than 60 attorneys, Perkins Coie is one of the largest firms in Portland. It’s legal services cover more than 25 practice areas, including corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, emerging companies, securities, litigation, real estate and land use, intellectual property, bankruptcy, creditors’ rights and restructuring, and environment, energy and resources. It’s lawyers provide legal counsel and representation to leading regional, national and international companies in many industries, including technology, manufacturing, finance and natural resources. Perkins Coie is ranked by Chambers USA in the top band of law firms in Oregon for corporate law and environmental law. Lawyers in our litigation practice have also been named by Chambers Global as “leaders in their field.” This year Perkins Coie assisted with two significant cases in Oregon on behalf of victims. Click here to learn more.
Caroline Park
2013 Volunteer of the Year
NCVLI’s Volunteer Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a deep commitment to victims’ rights by providing significant contributions to NCVLI’s work on behalf of victims.
Caroline Park came to NCVLI in September 2012 with a background in private sector marketing as well as public and nonprofit administration related to environmental issues. Caroline volunteers at NCVLI’s offices regularly as a “Jill of all trades.” From data entry and data management, to publications production, to writing grants, to event coordination, Caroline has jumped in on nearly every aspect of NCVLI’s functioning. So far, Caroline has donated over 150 hours to NCVLI! During the rest of her time, Caroline works for the River Network, a network of more than 2,000 state, regional and local grassroots organizations whose primary mission is protecting water as a natural resource. In late May Caroline traveled to Missouri to coordinate the River Network’s annual national conference of more than 500 attendees. She also works at the Aviary Restaurant in Portland. In her free time she loves doing anything outdoors, especially on the coast, and enjoys food preservation and crocheting. Click here to learn more.