By Tim Clark
Photos by Katie Anne Rodriguez
For Hannah Gordon, her keynote to the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County’s 25th annual “And Justice for All” luncheon, was something of a homecoming. Four decades ago, her mother, Pat Kernighan, had served as a staff attorney at the very same Legal Aid agency.
“Our duty is to make the world better and not worse. No matter how difficult the struggle, it is not for nothing,” Ms. Gordon, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer of the San Francisco 49ers football team, told attendees at the annual awards and fund-raising luncheon at Four Seasons Hotel in East Palo Alto, on a sunny lunch time May 13.
“We can only be as strong as our legal system,” said Ms. Gordon, who had originally committed to speak to the pandemic-cancelled 2021 luncheon.
“Our country is supposed to work for everyone, and that is where you come in,” the Oakland native and Stanford Law School graduate challenged attorneys and staff as she ducked into the luncheon, resplendent in power pink pantsuit, from her maternity leave away from the 49ers. Her day job involves advising on all legal issues concerning the 49ers and Levi’s Stadium. She also leads the team’s community impact division, which supports co-ed youth football programs and STEAM education.
“The activism of your youth or your life is not so much an act of altruism but of patriotism. May you continue to struggle for your clients and by extension for our community and country. May you continue to win freedom for this generation; it is not for nothing.”
After Ms. Gordon’s glittering keynote, the rest of the luncheon focused on honoring winners of Legal Aid’s annual awards:
Hope Nakamura: Legal Aid’s directing attorney, with 34 years of service, received the George R. Corey-Linda M Gemello Award as an attorney who exemplifies a commitment to work every day to obtain justice for all. Recognized statewide as an expert on law around government safety net benefits, she oversees LASSMC’s practices in public charge and LIBRE, Linking Immigrants to Benefits Resources and Education Project. “Hope has shifted the legal practice and strategy in response to changes in the community and changes in the law,” said M. Stacey Hawver, Legal Aid’s executive director.
Jones Day: The Guardian of Justice award went to law firm Jones Day, which in late 2020, during the heart of the pandemic, reached out to Legal Aid to offer pro bono services to the Domestic Violence Collaborative. Some 34 attorneys and professional staff have been trained to represent domestic violence survivors, and in 2021, Jones Day took on five challenging domestic violence cases. “I’m amazed at the strength and resiliency of the clients,” said Kapri Saunders, accepting the award for Jones Day.
Joel Silver: A patent attorney for biotech firm Gilead Sciences, Silver received the Dorothy M. Wolfe Award for his pro bono work over the past eight years. “Joel handled 19 domestic violence cases for us while working as in-house counsel without the backing of a large pro bono support system,” said Stephanie Bilinski, Legal Aid’s pro bono director. “He has stepped in on cases that have become difficult, mentored other attorneys and done amazing work.”
Nuestra Casa Promotoras Team: The Natalie T. Lanam Award for service to Legal Aid went to the community outreach team at Nuestra Casa, a grassroots nonprofit in East Palo Alto. Initially focused on health care and adapting a model developed in Latin America, Promotoras has evolved to include a broader set of services, ranging from voter registration, census surveys, food, housing and health insurance to Covid prevention and vaccinations. “They are the bridge to our Spanish-speaking communities that provide the necessary services we often take for granted,” said Jonathan Garcia, supervising attorney for the LIBRE program. Named honorees included Amada Espinoza, Cynthia Mari Castro, Maria Teresa Lopez, Maria Guerra, Martha Rosales, Miriam Tarracena, Yudelzka Estebes, Martha Ortega, Isabel Ochoa, Araceli Agustin, Rosa Adame, Angelica Reyes, Adriana Agustin, Roselia Aguirre and Maritza Leal.
Shirley Gibson: A moment of silence was observed in memory of the late Shirley Gibson, Legal Aid’s directing attorney for housing, who passed away in 2021. ““Shirley was a brilliant visionary, weaving together complex strategies involving litigation, tenant outreach, community organizing, and public policy advocacy to further housing equity,” said Ms. Hawver. “And she was funny—how we miss her humor! We were honored and privileged to work with Shirley.”