2023 Distinguished Achievements Award Dinner (DAAD)
August 30, 2023
The Distinguished Achievements Award Dinner (DAAD) is celebrating the 2023 awardees: Hon. Judy Nakamura (Ret), Benny Naranjo, Alicia Gutierrez, and Larissa Lozano for the Promisee Award. The DAAD is designed to recognize people in the legal community who have made an impact and continue to make an impact on the people around them. Congratulations to all four awardees!
Honorable Judy Nakamura (Ret) grew up in New Mexico and graduated from UNM School of Law in 1989. She was elected to the Bernalillo County Metro Court in 1998 as a Republican and was named "Judge of the Year" in 2004 by the Albuquerque Bar Association. In 2013, she was appointed to the Second Judicial District Court and was reappointed in 2014. At this time, she was serving in the Metro and District Court, and was called one of the hardest-working judges on the bench. She was appointed to the New Mexico Supreme Court in 2015, and retired in 2020 from the bench.
Benny Naranjo attended UNM School of Law and graduated in the mid-70s. After graduating, he was a sole practitioner for around 30 years, representing all kinds of people. He never turned a client away because of financial status. He eventually began working with the DAs office with the 13th Judicial District after working in private practice for many years. After retiring from the DAs office, Benny has begun volunteering with legal clinics and has continued to make an impact on people.
Alicia Guiterrez graduated from the New Mexico School of Law in 1986 and eventually found herself working with business and banking clients at Moses, Dunn, Farmer & Tuthill P.C. She has received several awards for her work in the law and is active with the American Bar Association and the New Mexico Bar Association. In addition to all the legal work she does, Alicia also has served and serves on various boards for schools and companies.
Larissa Lozano, being awarded the Promisee Award, is an owner and attorney at Lozano Law Firm, LLC where she represents many different people in suits dealing with civil rights violations, sexual violence, wrongful death, and more. While in law school, Larissa was on the New Mexico Law Review and was awarded with the top written brief in 2015. She was also recognized in 2020 in a 40 under 40 list by the National Trial Lawyers and in Albuquerque Business First's 2021 40 under 40 list.Congratulations again to the awardees!
