The 14th Annual La Mancha Awards for the Casa Cornelia Law Center was held on Thursday, October 14, 2021 as a Video Program. The event included words of welcome by Casa Cornelia Executive Director Carmen M. Chavez, Esq., a video with updates on the programs from the previous year and presentation of the awards including interviews with the awardees. Despite Covid 19 in 2020 the law center responded to 1,391 persons from54 nations speaking 50 languages in the Asylum Program, Children’s Program and assistance to Victims of Crime. Casa Cornelia Law Center was assisted by 529 volunteers who donated over 15, 102 hours of service which included 211 volunteer attorneys and 132 volunteer interpreters and translators. The Distinguished Pro Bono Attorney of the Year was Anne Beaumont, Esq of Perkins Cole, LLP. Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year was Morrison & Forester, LLP who have assisted Casa Cornelia for many years. The Lucy Howell Humanitarian Award was presented to José Carlos Yee Quintero of Casa del Migrante en Tijuana. This center in Tijuana is a ministry of the Scalabrini International Migration Network. José Carlos assister as a crisis manager for migrants who arrive in Tijuana with only the clothes on their backs. He is the leader of the Training Center for Migrants assisting them in finding sustainable livelihoods through case management, training, education and job placement. The award program ended with recognition of the twelve Pro Bono Publico Awardees.
