Contact Us | Print Page | Sign In
Awards and Scholarships

The NFPA annual awards and scholarships recognize excellence in individual paralegals and paralegal associations; demonstrate to the community the strengths and commitment of professional paralegals; and confirm NFPA's position as The Leader of the Paralegal Profession®.

Review the nomination and application process for the 2026 awards and scholarship program

Applications for the 2026 NFPA Awards and Scholarships are now open!

The 2026 Awards include the following categories:

NFPA can also award a PACE and/or PCCE Scholarship. These awards are given only when NFPA has a sponsor secured. At this time, there is no sponsor, but we will accept applications in the event one is secured.

SCHOLARSHIP AND AWARD APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY 11:59 PM CT ON SATURDAY, JULY 11.

2025 NFPA AWARD & SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

  • Outstanding Local Leader Award - Megan Tims, RP
  • Student Scholarship - Jaye Crowe 
  • William R Robie Leadership Award - Angela Gonzalez, SBWCP

Read Jaye Crowe's submitted essay for the Student Scholarship, "Bridging the Gap, Fixing the Dam," on Limited Licensing for Legal Paraprofessionals in Florida.

2024 NFPA AWARD & SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

  • Association Pro Bono Award - Paralegal Association of Central Ohio
  • Individual Pro Bono - Teresa Scharf, OSBA, Certified Paralegal 
  • Paralegal of the Year Award - Cherilynn Morgan
  • Outstanding Local Leader Award - Cherilynn Morgan

2023 NFPA AWARD & SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

  • Justice Champion Award - Sybil Taylor Aytch, RP, M.Ed
  • Outstanding Local Leader Award - Tracey Barnes, RP, PaC.P.
  • William R. Robie Leadership Award - Lynne Hamilton
  • Student Scholarships - Hannah Rockwood

2022 NFPA AWARD & SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

  • Individual Pro Bono Award - Robyn Sweet, CRP, RP, ACP
  • Outstanding Local Leader Award - Anthony Rausch, CRP
  • Student Scholarships - Pat Ritchie and Allison OToole

2021 NFPA AWARD & SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

  • Justice Champion Award - Aaron Bath, RP, CEDS
  • Outstanding Local Leader Award - Kathryn Ingram, RP
  • Paralegal of the Year Award - Thomas Holmes
  • William R. Robie Leadership Award - Lorri Jenkins
  • PACE Scholarship - Melissa Jurik, ILAP
  • Student Scholarships - Danielle Rhodes and Monica Phillips

2020 NFPA Award & Scholarship Recipients

  • William R. Robie Leadership Award - Christine Hansen, ILAP, Illinois Paralegal Association (sponsored by Larkin Hoffman Attorneys)
  • Justice Champion Award - Maren Schroeder, MBA, RP®, MnCP, Minnesota Paralegal Association (sponsored by Gustafon Gluek, PLLC)
  • Paralegal of the Year Award - MaryAnn Ivie, RP®, Oregon Paralegal Association (sponsored by Paradigm Reporting & Captioning)
  • Outstanding Local Leader Award - Amy Conrad, Minnesota Paralegal Association (sponsored by Quinlivan & Hughes, P.A.)
  • Individual Pro Bono Award - Kimberly Kasper, MnCP, Minnesota Paralegal Association (sponsored by Maslon)
  • The Paralegal CORE Competency Exam™ (PCCE) Scholarship - Julianne DiBenedetto, Illinois Paralegal Association (sponsored by the Paralegal Education Group)
  • Student Scholarship - Mary Andriani, member of the New York City Paralegal Association (sponsored by Paradigm Reporting & Captioning)

Read more about the award recipients here.

2019 Award & Scholarship Winners

  • William R. Robie Award - Dardanel "Dardie" Robinson, Oregon Paralegal Association
  • Paralegal of the Year Award - Sheila White, Dallas Area Paralegal Association
  • Outstanding Local Leader Award - Brenna Dickey, RP, Oregon Paralegal Association
  • Association Pro Bono Award - Paralegal Association of Central Ohio
  • Individual Pro Bono Award - Teresa Scharf, Paralegal Association of Central Ohio
  • Justice Champion Award - Bonnie Brooks, Paralegal Association of Rochester
  • Certification Ambassador Award - Glenna Fugazzi, RP, Greater Lexington Paralegal Association
  • Thomson Reuters Scholarship - Marilyn Wagner, Oregon Paralegal Association
  • Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. Paralegal Scholarship - Brenda Buenrostro Peterson

2018 Award & Scholarship Winners

  • Thomson Reuters Scholarships - Alexandra Settles and Savannah Lopez
  • PACE Scholarship - Becky Kerstetter, Cleveland Association of Paralegals
  • Certification Ambassador Award - Tina Johnson, RP, MnCP, Minnesota Paralegal Association
  • Association Pro Bono Award - Minnesota Paralegal Association
  • Outstanding Local Leader Award - Wendy Otto, RP, Washington State Paralegal Association
  • Paralegal of the Year Award - Theda M. Yandell, RP, Washington State Paralegal Association
  • Justice Champion Award - Sonjanita Jordan, New Orleans Paralegal Association
  • William R. Robie Award - Brenda Cothary, Washington State Paralegal Association
 

National Paralegal Reporter, NFPA, PACE Registered Paralegal, RP, PACE, the PACE design logo, NFPA - The Leader of the Paralegal Profession and the NFPA design logo are all Registered Trademarks/Service Marks of NFPA; NFPA - Your partner in your profession, PACE - The Standard for Excellence, Paralegal CORE Competency Exam, PCCE, PCC Exam, CORE Registered Paralegal, CRP and PCCE design logo are Trademarks/Service Marks of NFPA. Corporate Sponsor logos and CLE provider logos used with permission. Site content © copyright 2026 National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Inc. except where noted otherwise. Interested in republishing content from this website? Download our Reprint Permission Form. (PDF) Links to other organizations are provided solely as a convenience and do not constitute an endorsement by NFPA unless specifically indicated. By clicking a link to an external web site you acknowledge that NFPA assumes no responsibility for the content of that site or any service it may offer. View our privacy statement.