On Dec. 3, Gordon & Rees San Diego partner Kara Persson received the Wiley W. Manuel Award for her continued pro bono legal services on behalf of a Somali refugee seeking asylum in the United States. The award was presented by the Casa Cornelia Law Center in San Diego, a public interest law firm providing quality pro bono legal services to indigent victims of human and civil rights violations. Persson also received the award in 2010.
About the Wiley W. Manuel Award: The Wiley W. Manuel Award recognizes legal professionals who contribute at least 50 hours of pro bono legal services annually. The State Bar of California established the award in 1989. The late Justice Manuel served as a California Supreme Court associate justice from 1977-1981, following 23 years with the California Office of the Attorney General, the last three of which were as chief assistant attorney general. Justice Manuel's legal career and his personal life were marked by a dedication to hard work, public service and the concept of equal justice for all segments of society.