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The nomination process will begin and end earlier for next year. To nominate someone you think is deserving of the Distinguished Achievement Award, please click below:

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Closing date for 2024 nominations will be February 15, 2024

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2023 Nominees

Justice Judith Nakamura
Honorable Judy Nakamura (Ret)
UNM School of Law Class of 1989

Judy’s family moved to New Mexico when she was 12 years old. In 1983, she graduated from UNM with a Bachelor of Arts, and went on to work for U.S. Senator Pete Domenici before working as staff on numerous campaigns and as political director of the Republican Party of New Mexico from 1985 to 1988.

Judy attended law school at the UNM School of Law. In her third year, she was the Student Bar Association President. She graduated in 1989 and immediately went to work for the New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands eventually serving as its general counsel, and then entered into private practice with Miller, Stratvert & Torgerson, P.A..

Her judicial career began when she was elected to the Bernalillo County Metro Court in 1998. She served as Chief Judge there between 2002 and 2013. In 2004, Judy was named “Judge of the Year” by the Albuquerque Bar Association. She was appointed to the Second Judicial District Court by Governor Susanna Martinez in 2013 and was elected to the position in 2014. She was known as the hardest working judge on the bench.

In 2015, Judy was appointed to the New Mexico Supreme Court and a year later, she won a statewide race in which she garnered 52% of the vote – an amazing accomplishment.

Judy was the first Republican to serve on the New Mexico Supreme Court since 1980, and the first Republican Woman. Her appointment also created a female majority on the Court for the first time in history. While on the Court, Judy was appointed to the Board of the National Courts and Sciences Institute and currently serves on its Executive Committee. She also served on the Executive Committee of the Conference of Chief Justices’ National Judicial Opioid Task Force and served as the Conferences’ Second Vice President. Judy retired from the Court in December of 2020.

Judy is a member of the American Law Institute and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Think New Mexico and as President of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta’s Board of Directors. She is currently a partner in Forward Solutions, LLC, a strategic planning and consulting company.

Judy is a fighter and survivor. Along with her political victories, Judy fought and won her battle against breast cancer in 2009. During her treatments, she was at court every day she could be. With the support of her family, fellow judges, and her faithful dog, she came out the other side cancer free, just as she said she would. And this shouldn’t surprise us. Judy has always been true to her word, and she has stayed true to her beliefs and ideals, showing a true strength of character. She has a vibrant sense of humor, yet a humility that celebrates others before herself. Her many successes, both politically and in the courts speak to her hard work, dedication, compassion, and resolve.


Benny Naranjo
Benny Naranjo

Benny was the son of a noted politician, Emilio Naranjo, and served as both sheriff and a magistrate judge in Rio Arriba County. As Sheriff, he was an eyewitness to and taken hostage at the 1967 Tierra Amarilla courthouse raid. In the following year, he was a Democratic delegate to the 1968 Chicago convention. While Benny already had the start of a promising career, he instead chose to go back to school in his early thirties and attend the UNM School of Law, where he could make a difference through representation to the local community. His background and prominence in New Mexican politics allowed him to play a major role in the 1973 New Mexico Ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment prior to his graduation from law school in 1975.

Benny was a sole practitioner, with a focus on handling cases of all kinds throughout the state. If the case was interesting, or placed him in front of a jury, he wanted to take it. He never turned down clients for lack of funds. If they had a case, he was willing to take it. He passed up political opportunities and opportunities at larger firms to work as an independent for the community he loved on the issues he felt most needed a voice. He also played a major role for the approval for the School of Law to receive 11 Million dollars towards its expansion- the effects of which we can see today.

Following his lengthy stay in private practice, Benny was asked to become an assistant DA, sometimes serving as a Deputy DA in the 13th Judicial District, serving Sandoval, Cibola, and Valencia Counties. He remained with the DA’s Office until his late 60s, helping the local community.

In its early onset, Benny noticed the scourge of methamphetamine in the community and its devastating effects. He educated himself on the issue, and passionately crusaded at schools, in courthouses, and anywhere people would listen about the dangers of meth. Even after leaving the DA’s Office, he continued to make sure there was available education on the substance, and how those affected could seek help.

Even in retirement, Benny remains an active member of the community. He has volunteered at legal clinics, still takes cases here and there, and has advised land grant holders on land grant issues. While he left politics to pursue his own passion in the legal field, he has always been active with local and state politics and his advice is still often sought after by candidates in the Democratic Party, although, he is a strong believer that the right person for the job, regardless of political affiliation, should be the one to get the job.

Benny dedicated his life to helping his community with what he was good at-the law. He was a mentor to many young lawyers, helping them navigate the NM court system. He was passionate towards the betterment of his community and compassionate to those needing help. He was that rare individual that was recognizable by one name: Benny, and tonight it is our pleasure to honor someone that has done so much for others.


Alicia Guitierrez
Alicia Gutierrez
UNM School of Law

Alicia has a strong family history with the UNM School of Law. Her father, Avelino V. Gutierrez was part of the first graduating class of 1950. Her Brother, Avelino A. Gutierrez, graduated in 1985, followed closely by Alicia in 1986. Her son, Andres Rivera, has now recently graduated in the class of 2020. It could be said that the UNM School of Law runs in her family.

Alicia’s background is in business and finance, having graduated from the Robert O. Anderson School of Business in 1981. After graduating with her Juris Doctor, she began work with her father, Avelino Gutierrez. Realizing her passion for representing business and banking clients, Alicia accepted an associate position at Moses, Dunn, Farmer & Tuthill P. C. law firm in 1988. She became a shareholder in 1991. She was the only female attorney in the Firm for twelve years and is the longest female shareholder in the Firm since the Firm’s inception in 1954. In 2018, she was elected President, making her the first woman President of Moses, Dunn, Farmer & Tuthill P.C. in its 69 years of existence.

She received the Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Attorney designation in 2005 and has also been recognized by Martindale-Hubbell as a top-rated attorney for Labor and Employment Law. She has been active on the American Bar Association, served on the editorial board of Business Law Today for the Business Law Section of the ABA, and has been active in the New Mexican Bar Association serving as the Chair of the Business Section. In 2020, Alicia was inducted into the UNM Anderson School of Management Hall of Fame and was recognized in the Who’s Who in Law for 2023 by the Albuquerque Business First.

Alicia’s influence also extends to the community. She has been active on City of Albuquerque boards, serving on the Albuquerque Airport Advisory Board from 1989 to 1995. She then served on the Albuquerque Personnel Board from 1995 to 1998. She also served as trustee for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe Catholic Foundation. She actively participates in Law-La Palooza, where she provides answers and advice, and she is involved in continuing education for the young lawyers of our community. She participates in the Bridge the Gap mentorship program and enjoys mentoring new associates and young partners of the Firm.

One of her passions is education in our local community. Alicia has served as a board member for A Child’s Garden Pre-School, the Board of Trustees for Manzano Day School, Board of Trustees for Bosque School. Alicia accepted a board of director position for Zia Trust, Inc. in 2018 and was invited to be a member of the Economic FORUM in 2022.

Alicia Gutierrez has been an exemplary UNM Alumna, Attorney, and member of the community.

Alumni Promise Award

The Alumni Promise Award was established in 2017 and honors a recent UNM Law School graduate who has contributed innovative or substantial service to the Law School, its students, or its community.

Larissa M. Lozano
Larissa M. Lozano
UNM School of Law

Larissa is a proud 18th generation New Mexican. During her undergraduate years, she lived in both Seville, Spain and Madrid, Spain, where she worked at El Centro Hispano Paraguayo, an organization set up to assist newly migrated immigrants adapt into Spanish society. Upon graduation From Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, she returned home to attend the UNM School of Law. She was an editor of, and published author of the New Mexico Law Review, a member of the UNM School of Law Admissions committee, and a member of the Hispanic National Bar Association moot court team, where her strong writing and advocacy was awarded top honors for best written brief. Larissa remains an active alumna and recently served as a Class Ambassador for the school’s 75th Anniversary.

Larissa is the Owner and Attorney of Lozano Law Firm, LLC based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where her practice is focused on civil rights violations, sexual violence, wrongful death, and personal injury. Her work has also included litigation of claims involving employment, medical malpractice, and other civil litigation. She has worked on a myriad of complex issues, including cases involving US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security for unlawfully targeting and arresting immigrants outside of courthouses in New Mexico. She has also worked on matters litigated at the New Mexico appellate courts, the Tenth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court.

In conjunction with providing legal services, Larissa is passionate about uplifting others in our community. She is the former Vice President of the New Mexico Hispanic Bar Association and a former Board member of Cuidando Los Ninos. Currently, she is an active Commissioner for the Hispanic National Bar Association’s Latina Commission and is a sitting Board Member of the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty, the New Mexico Trial Lawyers, and a Governor for the American Association for Justice. In 2020, she was recognized by the National Trial Lawyers with its Top 40 Under 40 award, and in 2021, Larissa was recognized by Albuquerque Business First with its 40 Under Forty award, which honors the best and brightest young professionals under the age of 40 in New Mexico.


Give to the Law Alumni Fund


Your Impact

headshot of Sundesh Khalsa, light skinned male wearing glasses

I came to UNM two years ago thanks to the School of Law Alumni Association. Since then, and with the help of a few Distinguished Achievement Awards Dinners, back-to-school fiestas, and fairways on the UNM-South course, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many alumni myself. Your mentorship and insight have been invaluable throughout my time at school; I've always felt immensely supported. For that, I thank you and sincerely hope to pay forward your incredible generosity.

Sundesh Khalsa Class of 2024
headshot of Laura Creech, asian woman with long dark hair and glasses

I feel incredibly fortunate to have received the Alumni/ae Association Scholarship. Thanks to the generosity of UNM Law’s alumni, I’ve been able to completely immerse myself in the law school experience. While the full impact of this scholarship won’t be realized for years to come, I can already see an immeasurable benefit to my legal career. I hope to pay it forward someday so that more students will be able to make their professional decisions based on their dreams and not their finances.

Laura Creech Class of 2025
headshot of rachel swanteson franz, white woman with long brown hair

I was born and raised in Albuquerque and had my sights set on going to UNM School of Law for years. When I found out I was not only accepted to the school but also awarded this incredible scholarship, I felt so honored and welcomed. I am a first-generation law student who is passionate about public interest law. Knowing that my debts after law school will now be so much smaller, I feel a huge weight off my shoulders. After graduation, I know I will have more freedom to choose a career that will align with my values while still being able to support myself and my family. This is all thanks to the Alumni Association and their incredible generosity. Thank you for making me feel a part of this community

Rachel Swanteson-Franz Class of 2026

History

In 1993, University of New Mexico School of Law Alumni/ae board members began a tradition of honoring people who have served the legal community in a significant way at an annual dinner and awards ceremony. The purpose of the Distinguished Achievement Awards Dinner is to celebrate notable accomplishments and dedicated service by lawyers and others in the legal community to the UNM School of Law, the New Mexico legal community and the greater community inside and outside of New Mexico.

Since the dinner started, 72 honorees, more than 7,000 attendees and hundreds of sponsors have participated in the event. The dinner has raised over $500,000 for law school programming, including the Alumni Association scholarships, the Law School's only merit-based full-tuition scholarships presented to incoming law students.

Thank you for helping us honor members of the law school and legal community, and for helping us support our alma mater.

Past Awardees

1993
Paul Robinson (`50)
Honorable Santiago Campos (`53)
Ruth C. Streeter (`53)

1994
Franklin Jones (`56)
Professor Henry Weihofen
Honorable Mary C. Walters (`62)
Haskell Rosebrough (`51)

1995
Honorable Dan Sosa, Jr. (`51)
John D. Robb, Jr.
William E. Bondurant, Jr.
Raymond W. Schowers (`73) (posthumously)

1996
Professor Albert Utton
Felix Briones (`57)

1997
Honorable E. L. Mechem
Honorable Joe Wood (`50)
D. Russell Moore (`57)

1998
Gene Gallegos (`60)
Honorable Richard Ransom
U.S. Representative Steve Schiff (`72) (posthumously)

1999
Honorable Howard Bratton
Kevin Gover (`81)
Professor Fred Hart

2000
Sarah Bradley (`72)
Arturo Jaramillo
William Snead (`61)

2001
John R. Cooney (`65)
Raymond G. Sanchez (`67)
Anne B. Thomas (`83)

2003
Professor Robert J. Desiderio
Nancy Hollander (`78)
Luis G. Stelzner

2004
Ranne D. Miller (`67)
Maureen A. Sanders (`79)
Associate Dean Peter A. Winograd

2005
Richard L. Gerding (`64)
Honorable Tommy E. Jewell (`79)
Professor Ruth L. Kovnat

2006
Arthur O. Beach (`70)
Pat R. Bryan, III (`74)
John E. Echohawk (`70)
Toby Grossman (`68) (posthumously)

2007
Professor Michael B. Browde
Randi M. McGinn (`80)
Andrew G. Schultz (`84)
Walter K. Martinez (`55) (posthumously)

2008
William H. Carpenter (`66)
Honorable Pamela B. Minzner (posthumously)
Gary O. O`Dowd (`65)

2009
Professor William T. McPherson, Jr. (`66)
Paula Tackett (`77)
U.S. Senator Tom Udall (`77)

2011
Catherine Goldberg ('75)
Peter Mallery ('68)
Professor Emeritus and former Dean Leo M. Romero

2012
Professor Anne Bingaman
Richard Civerolo (`50)
Professor and former Dean Ted Parnall (`67, January)
Wendy York (`82)

2013
Peter Johnstone ('74) (posthumous award)
Ted Occhialino, Professor Emeritus
Patricia Madrid ('73)
Norman Thayer, ('60)

2014
William Marchiondo ('52)
Edward Ricco ('80)
Jacquelyn Robins ('74)
Joan Hart, Lifetime Service Award

2015
The Hon. Elizabeth Whitefield ('77)
Prof. Emeritus Richard Gonzales
Briggs Cheney ('73)

2016
The Hon. Lorenzo F. Garcia ('73)
Joseph Goldberg
Tim Sheehan

2017
Professor Barbara E. Bergman
The Hon. Michael D. Bustamante ('74)
Professor James W. Ellis
Shammara H. Henderson ('07) (Alumni Promise Award)

2018
Aja N. Brooks ('08) (Alumni Promise Award)
Justice Edward L. Chavez (Ret.) ('81)
Jill L. Marron ('84)
Steve Scholl ('89)

2019
The Hon. M. Christina Armijo ('75)
Justice Charles W. Daniels ('69)
Regent & Professor Emeritus
Robert Schwartz
Kelly Stout Sanchez ('09) (Alumni Promise Award)

2021
Honorable C. LeRoy Hansen (`61)
Honarable Sarah Singleton (posthumously)

2022
Phil Davis (`78) (posthumously)
Former Professor Suedeen Kelly
David Martinez (`82)
Honorable Linda M. Vanzi (Ret.) (`95)

DAAD Committee Members

Robert Lucero ('08)
Samantha Adams ('03), Co-Chair
Steve Scholl, Co-Chair
Bobbie Batley
Qris Claassen

Andy Schultz ('84)
Agnes Fuentevilla Padilla ('92)
Justin Goodman ('11)
Hon. Michael Aragon
Sheryl Saavedra

Taylor Lueras
Andrea Salazar

Past Tribute Films