Denver, CO (May 12, 2023) – Lisa Monet Wayne, Executive Director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), received the Alvin D. Lichtenstein Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar (CCDB) at a ceremony at the University of Denver on May 12.
The Alvin D. Lichtenstein Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes remarkable accomplishments over a lifetime of distinguished service to a lawyer who leaves a memorable imprint in the daily practice of criminal defense lawyers in Colorado. This award was created by the CCDB Board of Directors to honor those individuals who take on issues that help defendants in more ways than the boundaries of a criminal defense case. Recipients are relentless in positively and uniquely contributing to the criminal justice system throughout their long and distinguished careers.
Wayne was appointed Executive Director of NACDL and the NACDL Foundation for Criminal Justice by the Board of Directors and assumed the role full-time in February of 2022. Prior, Wayne had been an attorney in private practice in both state and federal courts around the country since 1985. She has represented hundreds of individuals and corporations in both the investigation phase and criminally accused capacity. Previously, Wayne was a Colorado State Public Defender for 13 years where she served as office head, training director, and senior trial attorney. She lectures nationally with NACDL, National Criminal Defense College, National Institute of Trial Advocates, American Bar Association, numerous State Bar Associations, Public Defender Organizations, and many other legal organizations. Wayne has served as an adjunct law professor at the University of Colorado where she taught trial advocacy for 22 years, and on faculty at Cardoza Law School and the Trial Practice Institute at Harvard Law School.
"There is no greater honor for an attorney than to be recognized by our peers," said Lisa Monet Wayne. "I am grateful for the acknowledgement of my long and storied career and look forward to this new chapter of fighting on behalf of the accused."
