Tom Karas Criminal Justice Award
Established in March 2004 (language amended March 2006), this award recognizes that criminal defense practitioner who has worked tirelessly to advance the principles of criminal justice by representing clients or the public with integrity, fairness, tenacity, creativity, brilliance and, above all, professionalism.
2026 Recipient
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Anne Chapman is a partner at Mitchell Stein Carey Chapman in Phoenix, licensed in Arizona, California and Virginia, where she focuses on white collar criminal defense, government investigations, and parallel civil and criminal proceedings. A former Assistant Federal Defender, she has represented individuals and corporations in high-stakes matters involving the Department of Justice, SEC, state attorneys general, and other enforcement agencies. Over the course of her career, Ms. Chapman has handled some of the nation’s most significant and challenging criminal cases, including terrorism, capital, and large-scale fraud prosecutions. She is widely recognized for her trial advocacy, strategic judgment, and ability to manage parallel criminal, civil, and regulatory matters. In addition to her defense practice, Ms. Chapman conducts internal investigations, advises corporate boards and special litigation committees, and counsels clients on compliance and enforcement risk. She is active nationally in the white collar defense bar, serving in leadership roles with the Women in White Collar Defense Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. |
Previous Recipients
The award has been presented to:
| 2004 | Fredric F. Kay |
| 2005 | Robert J. Hirsh |
| 2006 | Donna Lee Elm |
| 2007 | Michael B. Scott (posthumously) |
| 2008 | Mark Budoff (posthumously) Robert J. Hooker (posthumously) |
| 2009 | Bruce S. Griffen |
| 2010 | Michael D. Kimerer |
| 2011 | Michael L. Piccarreta |
| 2012 | Darrow K. Soll (posthumously) |
| 2013 | Larry A. Hammond |
| 2014 | Stanton Bloom |
| 2015 | Tom Henze |
| 2016 | John M. Sears |
| 2017 | Stephen M. Weiss |
| 2018 | Walter B. Nash, III Hon. David G. Derickson |
| 2019 | Dwane M. Cates Thomas N. Crowe |
| 2020 | Richard L. Lougee, Jr. Randall S. Papetti |
| 2021 | Richard D. Coffinger |
| 2022 | Lori Voepel |
| 2023 | Margarita Silva |
| 2024 | Susan L. Corey |
| 2025 | Thomas E. Higgins |
State Bar Annual Awards
- Award of Appreciation
- Award of Special Merit
- Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Award
- Hon. John R. Sticht Disability Achievement Award
- James A. Walsh Outstanding Jurist Award
- Mark I. Harrison Excellence in Mentorship Award
- Member of the Year Award
- Michael C. Cudahy Criminal Justice Award
- Outstanding In-House Counsel of the Year Award
- President's Award
- Sharon A. Fullmer Legal Aid Attorney of the Year Award
- Tom Karas Criminal Justice Award