Miami, FL- The Miami-Dade Bar will host its Awards Luncheon on Friday, October 10, 2025, from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm at Akerman LLP’s Miami offices. The event is co-sponsored by the Bar’s Criminal Courts Committee, Professionalism Committee, and Dade Legal Aid, and will celebrate five distinguished members of the judiciary and bar who exemplify extraordinary dedication, leadership, and service to the Bench, Bar, and Miami-Dade community: Honorable Laurel M. Isicoff, Honorable Miguel de la O, Honorable Julie Harris Nelson, H.T. Smith, Esq., and Lenny Elias, Esq.
Dade Legal Aid/Put Something Back Pro Bono Project will be presenting the Richard Milstein Pro Bono Excellence Award to the Honorable Laurel M. Isicoff, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of Florida, for her lifetime dedication to pro bono work. This award was established by Put Something Back after Milstein received the Tobias Simon Pro Bono Award years ago. This year’s award is presented to Judge Isicoff for her outstanding service, leadership, and dedication to pro bono service. While in private practice, as President of the Bankruptcy Bar, as chief judge, and as Pro Bono Chair of multiple committees, she has always prioritized and advanced Put Something Back pro bono project serving as speaker, mentor, and champion. On the bench, she continues to be a trailblazer in bankruptcy law and pro bono across the nation. Her lifelong commitment to pro bono service, mentorship, and professionalism embodies the values for which this award was created.
The Professionalism Committee of the Miami-Dade Bar will be presenting the Honorable Celeste Hardee Muir Award to the Honorable Miguel de la O, Circuit Court Judge for the Criminal Division of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County for his unwavering dedication to the Miami-Dade court system, his integrity, and his extraordinary service to the Bench, Bar and legal community. The award personifies Judicial Professionalism and Civility in and out of the justice system and was named in Muir’s honor to spotlight judges in Miami-Dade who share similar amazing qualities.
The Terrence G. Biddulph Community Award will be presented by Dade Legal Aid/Put Something Back to the Honorable Julie Harris Nelson, County Court Judge in the Criminal Division of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. This award honors the legacy of Terrence G. Biddulph, a prominent Miami banker who devoted more than 35 years to supporting the Bar, Dade Legal Aid and the Put Something Back program. It is awarded to individuals who demonstrate exceptional commitment to the legal community and pro bono work. A Put Something Back pro bono hero, Harris Nelson has been long recognized as a leader both on and off the bench. A recipient of numerous legal and civic awards, she is devoted to youth mentorship and literacy initiatives. Her dedication to public service and justice makes her a fitting recipient of this year’s award.
The Criminal Justice Award will be presented to H.T. Smith by the Criminal Courts Committee of the Miami-Dade Bar. The Criminal Justice Award is given to honor a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the Miami-Dade County criminal justice system. H.T. Smith embodies the definition of this award. Over the course of his incredible career, H.T. Smith has litigated, brilliantly, countless criminal and civil rights cases. He carries a legacy as a mentor to countless students and practicing lawyers, imbuing students and young lawyers with both trial technique and professional integrity. The award serves to honor Smith’s decades of leadership in criminal justice, advocacy for equity, and service as a role model for the entire legal profession.
The Honorable Marvin Gillman Small Claims Court Award will be presented by Dade Legal Aid/Put Something Back to Leonard “Lenny” Elias for his lifetime achievement. The award honors the late Judge Marvin Howard Gillman who is fondly remembered for his fairness, humor, and deep respect for ensuring that every person’s voice is heard in Small Claims Court. Judge Gillman was a champion of everyday consumers, a respected leader in the judiciary, and a strong supporter of the Florida Bar, Dade County Bar, and Put Something Back’s Small Claims Clinics in the 1980s and 1990s. Leonard Elias has carried forward this mission during his nearly three decades as Miami-Dade County’s Consumer Advocate and for many years as the Director of the Consumer Protection Division. He led hundreds of small claims clinics, authored accessible legal self-help guides, and tirelessly defended the rights of consumers. His career reflects Judge Gillman’s legacy of justice and service, and we are proud that he is a member of our board and committees.
For more information, sponsorship and tickets, please contact Miami Dade Bar: https://www.miamidadebar.org/calendar/#!event/2025/10/10/dla-committee-awards-luncheon