WALTER E. CRAIG DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD PRESENTED

June 01, 2010
Contact: Hayley Ivins 6023407235
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WALTER E. CRAIG DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD PRESENTED
 Arizona Professor to be recognized for outstanding work
 
[Phoenix, AZ] – The votes have been cast and an inspiring law professor and pro bono attorney has been named the 2010 Walter E. Craig Distinguished Service Award Recipient! Robert Bartels will be recognized for his exemplary commitment to justice in Arizona. The Walter E. Craig Distinguished Service Award is presented to the attorney who has manifested adherence to both the highest principles and tradition of the legal professional as well as service to the public in the community in which he or she lives. Given annually in honor of Walter E. Craig, the Award will be presented at the 2010 Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education Awards luncheon on June 10th, 2010 at the Renaissance Glendale Hotel & Spa.
 
About Robert “Bob” Bartels:
 
Bob Bartels has been a law professor at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law since the early 1980s. He is considered by many former students and colleagues to be one of the best law professors in the state and has mentored thousands of young attorneys, promoting public service to each one.   However, his commitment to his students is only a part of what makes Bartels a worthy Walter E. Craig recipient. Bob also is a dedicated pro bono attorney, having provided thousands of hours of service to indigent clients over the years. In McDonald v. Thomas, Bob provided hundreds of hours of time to the Arizona Supreme Court case which resulted in approximately 200 inmates receiving equitable commutations of their prison sentences. Bartels also took on Byron Lacy’s case – Lacy was convicted of first-degree murder and had spent years in prison before Bob proved that it was physically impossible for Mr. Lacy to have committed the crime. In addition to his work as a mentor for the Arizona Justice Project, Bob is a member of the Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest’s Board.
 
“Bob Bartels is the catalyst behind my pro bono work for the Justice Project and my continued dedication to public service work. He showed me just how important it is to work in the pursuit of justice.” -Former ASU law student. 
 
About the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education
The Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education provides technical and financial assistance to legal aid organizations, schools and community groups. The Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education promotes “Access to Justice for All Arizonans” by supporting law-related education and free legal services and by promoting statewide collaborative efforts. 
 
Helpful Websites:
·         Arizona Foundation for Legal Services & Education: http://www.azflse.org
·         Walter E. Craig Distinguished Service Award:   http://www.azflse.org/azflse/competition_awards/awards/waltercraig.cfm    
 
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