AZ Summit Law School Students & Alumni Recognized as Leaders by Volunteer Lawyers Program

April 30, 2015 - PRLog -- Arizona Summit Law School is pleased to announce members of its student population and alumni are among those honored this year by the Maricopa County Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyers Program (VLP). Peter Mwithiga, a Summit Law student, received the prestigious Law Student of the Year Award for completing more than 400 hours of volunteer service for Wills for Heroes and DNA-People’s Legal Service. Summit Law alumni honored include Scott Uthe (2010), Justin Robert Hernandez (2013), Jennifer D. Hill (2010), and Nature Lewis (2012).

Summit Law alumni Scott Uthe, a privacy engineer with Intel, serves as co-chair of the company’s Arizona Pro Bono Committee. He was recognized for his leadership role in providing debt counseling for underserved clients in the East Valley. Outstanding Volunteer Attorney awards went to Summit Law alumni Justin Robert Hernandez and Jennifer D. Hill, who are both in private practice. Nature Lewis, who is also in private practice, received the Attorney of the Month for March 2015 award and was named Tenants’ Rights New Attorney of the Year.

“Summit Law is entering its tenth year and to have so many of our students and alumni recognized for their continuted commitment to providing legal services for the underserved in our community is a realization that our mission is being realized,” stated Dean Shirley Mays. “I am very proud of the achievements of our current students and alumni, and look forward to the dynamic impact they will continue to have on our community in the years to come.”

The Volunteer Lawyers Program is a civil law project of Community Legal Services and the Maricopa County Bar Association. The 2014 VLP's "For Love of Justice," pro bono awards were awarded for outstanding contributions in a number of fields during a special ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Phoenix on April 15th.

"After my first year of law school, I decided it was time to dig into the practical work of attorneys. Because I had never worked in a law firm, I decided the easiest way to get my feet wet was to volunteer," said student honoree Peter Mwithiga. "Working with people, on a human level is a fundamental process of helping them solve their legal problems. After all, you will never understand where a person is coming from until you sit down and listen."

About Arizona Summit Law School (http://www.azsummitlaw.edu/): Founded in 2005, Arizona Summit Law School is dedicated to diversifying the legal profession by advancing advocates and civic-minded leaders serving underserved communities.  The school, which is located in the heart of downtown Phoenix, earned early recognition from the American Bar Association for the development of comprehensive professionalism teaching modules, including the 2009 E. Smythe Gambrell Professionalism Award. Arizona Summit Law School also earned top honors for two consecutive years from prelaw Magazine, a law school journal published by National Jurist, for its innovative ideas and approach to legal education. Arizona Summit Law School is accredited by the American Bar Association, and aims to establish the private law school as a benchmark institution for legal education in the 21st century. Additional information is available at www.azsummitlaw.edu.