Annual Scholarship & Awards Celebration
Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter NBA Annual Award Descriptions
Each year, the Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter National Bar Association hosts an Annual Scholarship & Awards Celebration to honor our scholarship recipients and various members who have made outstanding strides in the legal profession. Our next Celebration will take place on Saturday, June 22, 2024, at 10:00am at the Hilton Bonnet Creek in Orlando. This will take place on the final day of the Florida Bar's Annual Convention.
The following awards will be presented annually to members of our organization at our Scholarship & Awards Celebration. Applications for nominations will be available in Spring 2024.
Justice Peggy A. Quince Judicial Excellence Award
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Named in honor of Retired Florida Supreme Court Justice Peggy A. Quince, this award recognizes an exceptional member of the judiciary whose outstanding service and achievement has contributed to the fair administration of justice for all people. Like Justice Quince, this individual should be a person who exemplifies the highest standards of judicial conduct. To qualify, a nominee must have completed at least five years of judicial service on a Florida state trial, appellate, or federal court.
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2023 - The Honorable June McKinney
2022 – The Honorable Mary S. Scriven
VHFCNBA Legacy Award
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The VHFCNBA Legacy Award recognizes an attorney who has been a member of The Florida Bar for more than 35 years and who has demonstrated the highest levels of service to the legal profession, community and VHFCNBA.
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2023 - Evett Simmons
2022 – T.J. Cunningham
2020 – Sen. Arthenia L. Joyner & Judge Carole Y. Taylor
VHFCNBA Trailblazer Award
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The VHFCNBA Trailblazer Award recognizes an attorney who has been a member of The Florida Bar for more than 15 years and carries the spirit of Virgil Hawkins, who exhibited an unwavering commitment to enhancing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.
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2023 - Greg Francis
2022 – Daryl D. Parks
2020 – Aramis D. Ayala
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VHFCNBA Young Lawyer Award
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The VHFCNBA Young Lawyer Award recognizes a young lawyer who has rendered outstanding service to the legal profession and community, thus far. The recipient should also embody the highest levels of professionalism and ethics. A young lawyer is someone who has been in practice for five years or less or is under 40 years of age.
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2023 - The Honorable Harold F. Pryor
2022 – Iris A. Elijah
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VHFCNBA President’s Award
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The VHFCNBA President’s Award is given by the President and recognizes an individual who has provided meritorious service to the organization during the President’s term of office.
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2023 - Roger Johnson (Presented by President Valeria Obi)
2022 - Noel Lawrence (Presented by President Michael Davis)