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NJC to honor Judge Terry Ruckriegle and law firm Greenberg Traurig

DENVER, Col. (March 9, 2017) — The National Judicial College (NJC) will honor Colorado Senior Judge W. Terry Ruckriegle and global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP in April with the NJC’s Advancement of Justice Award. Greenberg Traurig executives Brian L. Duffy, Cesar L. Alvarez, Hilarie Bass, Ernest LaMont Greer and Larry J. Hoffman will receive individual awards along with Judge Ruckriegle.

The Advancement of Justice Award, created in 2008, honors exceptional individuals and entities who strive to improve and advance justice in the United States. Recipients have all shared their time, talent and treasure to either create or participate in community outreach services, initiatives in their city, county, state or country, and who have also shared their dedication to a fair and impartial judicial system with their colleagues. The NJC Board of Trustees will present the awards April 6, 2017, during an event at The Westin Denver Downtown. The media are invited.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2017, Greenberg Traurig is an international, multidisciplinary law firm with approximately 2,000 attorneys in 38 locations around the world. The firm has been a major donor to the NJC, providing scholarships for judges across the nation.

Biographies of the honorees

Hon. W. Terry Ruckriegle (ret.) was appointed to the Colorado District Court in August 1984 and presided as chief judge from 1994-2010. He is past president of the Colorado Bar Association, 2013-14, and served several terms on the Board of Governors. In 2010 he received the Colorado Judicial Institute Judicial Excellence Award and was recognized as Distinguished Jurist by the Colorado chapter of the American Association of Matrimonial Lawyers. He was presented the Distinguished Service Award by the National Center for State Courts in 2013. He served in the American Bar Association House of Delegates from 2002-2011 and chaired the National Conference of State Trial Judges of the Judicial Division, helping it revise the ABA Trial Court Standards that passed the House of Delegates in 2011. He sat on the Board of Directors of the National Judicial College, attended 16 programs, and taught six different courses. He presided over numerous high-profile media cases, including People v. Kobe Bryant and presents on media and the law. He currently serves as senior judge, special master, mediator and arbitrator. He manages every type of civil, domestic and probate mediation, arbitration and court case.

Brian L. Duffy is chief executive officer of Greenberg Traurig. He previously served as co-president of the firm and chair of its Global Litigation Department from 2009–2013. His practice focuses on trial and appellate work, primarily in the areas of class action, employment, energy, commercial contract and product liability.

Cesar L. Alvarez is senior chairman of Greenberg Traurig. He previously served as executive chairman and as chief executive officer for 16 years. While he served as CEO, Greenberg Traurig was recognized as the nation’s fastest-growing law firm. Previously he was chair of the firm’s Corporate & Securities Practice.

Hilarie Bass is co-president of Greenberg Traurig and serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. She previously served as chair of the Global Litigation Department. She is also the founder and former chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Women’s Initiative, which supports the advancement of women in the legal profession. She is the president-elect of the ABA.

Ernest LaMont Greer is co-president of Greenberg Traurig and serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. He also serves as co-chair of the U.S. Strategic Committee. From 2013–2015, he served as a vice president of the firm. A longtime supporter of education, the arts, public health and human rights, he is Chairman of the Atlanta History Center Board of Trustees as well as Board of Trustee for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Larry J. Hoffman, is a co-founder of Greenberg Traurig. Previously he was the firm’s chairman, and prior to that was he was the firm’s second CEO. He also previously served as chairman of its Corporate & Securities Practice. He is a well-known authority on law firm management.

Richard Rosenbaum is executive chairman of Greenberg Traurig. He previously served as CEO and as president. He has been with the firm since 1985 and has experience in many areas of the law. He founded and developed the firm’s renowned Commitment to Excellence program, which focuses on keeping the firm’s values at its core.

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