2023 Reisman Award Winners
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The Childress Firm PLLC
2023 DIVERSITY & INCLUSIONThe Childress Firm PLLC, established in 2016, is dedicated to providing affordable legal services, particularly for small businesses and individuals in marginalized communities. Founder Jessica Childress is deeply aware of the lack of diversity in the legal industry and is committed to increasing representation. In 2021, Jessica developed a diversity, equity, and inclusion tool, Intro[re]spection, which helps companies foster respect and inclusion among employees, and wrote a series of children’s books, Juris Prudence, to inspire young girls of color to pursue legal careers. The firm actively engages in educating organizations and individuals on employment law rights, striving to make workplaces discrimination-free and diverse.
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King Law Offices, PC
2023 BEST GROWTH STORYFrom a solo law office above a bar to an 18-location law firm spanning the Carolinas, Brian King knows how to drive growth. Over the past five years, they’ve nearly quadrupled annual revenue from $4 million to over $15 million, grown headcount to over 100 attorneys and support staff, and manages billing for over 5,000 clients weekly.
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The Dross Law Firm, PLLC
2023 BEST NEW LAW FIRMAfter a lifetime of adversity, which included time in the foster system and in prison, Arique used his experiences on the other end of the legal system to fuel his mission—providing the advocacy he wished he’d had as a child. After earning two law degrees and becoming a licensed attorney in both New York and California he served as an ACS prosecutor and assistant district attorney before starting his own firm, which has helped over 150 clients with foster care, child abuse, and juvenile delinquency cases.
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Rasa Legal
2023 LEGAL INNOVATION1 in 3 American adults has a criminal record—which can be a barrier to voting, employment, and even housing. Rasa Legal, a Utah-based public benefit corporation established in 2022, is dedicated to simplifying the criminal record expungement process. Founded by CEO Noella Sudbury, Rasa leverages cutting-edge, consumer-focused technology to bridge the access to justice gap. Their online expungement tool assesses individuals’ eligibility for record clearance in just three minutes. In their first year, Rasa has already helped almost 8,000 people throughout Utah.
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PATH Legal
2023 LEGAL IMPACT AWARDPATH Legal, established in November 2022 through a collaboration between lawyers Emma Halpern and Mike Dull, helps criminalized and/or incarcerated individuals access the legal assistance and advocacy they need; PATH offers no-cost bail release plans, parole board support, habeas corpus applications, judicial review applications, and more, as well as addressing human rights and police complaints. Since its inception, PATH Legal has helped over 600 people in the Atlantic prison system access the justice they deserve.
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Amara Legal Center
2023 COMMUNITY CHAMPIONThe Amara Legal Center, a nonprofit legal service organization in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, is dedicated to empowering survivors of sex trafficking and sex work; the majority of Amara’s clients are women and girls of color who have experienced poverty, homelessness, and severe trauma as sex trafficking survivors. Through free, trauma-informed legal services, Amara advocates for civil protection orders, divorces, and criminal defense for survivors facing prostitution-related charges while being trafficked. Amara has helped more than 500 clients with over 800 legal cases in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.
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Tenet Law
2023 EXCELLENCE IN CLIENT SERVICE41% of all crime in the UK is fraud and Tenet Law is here to help. Founded by Arun Chauhan in 2016, Tenet Law focuses on disputes and compliance, specializing in fraud and financial crime. Their unique approach has seen the firm eliminate financial targets for attorneys and the billable hour for clients, so their team of 13 can focus solely on providing the best client service possible. This gives the team autonomy and freedom allowing the team to decide when and where they are most productive and to invest time on finding solutions and strengthening client relationships. The firm also operates with a flat structure with no hierarchy or titles, reducing internal competition and allowing for more efficient decision-making.
Tell us what makes your firm special
Our customers do amazing things, and the annual Reisman Awards—named after Clio’s first customer—recognize extraordinary Clio customers for displaying excellence in their fields and making an impact in their communities.
Past Reisman Award winners have achieved incredible firm growth, delivered innovative legal experiences, broken down industry barriers, improved the experience for their clients, and provided powerful advocacy for vulnerable populations. From now until March 15, 2023, you can nominate your firm or another firm for one or more of the categories listed below.
Award Categories
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Legal Innovation
Do you dare to do things differently? Tell us about how you use technology, how you serve clients, or how you address niche markets in unique ways.
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Best New Law Firm
If you started a new law firm over the past year—whether you’re a fresh-faced law grad or a bold BigLaw defector—we want to hear about your success.
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Community Champion
From volunteering to pro bono work, mentorship, and philanthropy, giving back can take many forms. Let us know the ways you make your community better.
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Best Growth Story
We’re no stranger to growth, but our favorite stories are yours—and this is your chance to boast. Tell us how you’ve been successful with Clio. (Bonus points if you have data to back it up!)
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Excellence in Client Service
Legal’s present and future belongs to firms that put client service at the heart of all that they do. Tell us what makes your firm a client-centered law firm, and how you provide exceptional client experiences.
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Diversity & Inclusion
Open to legal professionals that demonstrate a commitment to improving diversity and inclusion among marginalized communities in the legal profession. Learn more.
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Legal Impact Award (People's Choice)
This award celebrates law firms who embody Clio’s mission of transforming the practice of law, for good. Nominees for this award will be hand-picked by our panel of judges and voted on by the legal community.
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Prize Packages
Winners will also receive:
- A 2023 Clio Cloud Conference prize package, including:
- Two VIP conference passes, including access to special networking events
- A complimentary standard hotel room at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville for the duration of the conference
- Complimentary return airfare for one to Nashville from anywhere within the contiguous United States (or equivalent)
- Recognition on stage as part of the Reisman Awards ceremony
- A 2023 Reisman Award trophy
- A professionally produced video showcasing your law firm’s story
- A website badge, social media promotion, and press release inclusion to promote your achievement
All finalists—three per category—will receive:
- A discounted pass to the 2023 Clio Cloud Conference, held October 9-10 in Nashville, TN
- A chance to be showcased in one of our customer success stories (great for marketing your firm to clients).
- Exclusive assets you can use on your firm’s website, social media, and other marketing materials.
- A 2023 Clio Cloud Conference prize package, including:
The fine print (FAQ)
What makes a winning entry?
Submissions will be evaluated based on:
- The compelling nature of the firm’s story
- How well the firm documents its results
- The firm’s relevance to the award category
- How the firm uses Clio to achieve its goals
I submitted last year. Can I submit again?
Absolutely! The great thing about stories is that they get better over time. We want to keep in touch, and to learn about what’s new and exciting at your firm. So, please, keep those submissions coming.
Additional questions
Why are they called the Reismans?
Clio’s first customer, Catherine Reisman, was our inspiration for delivering an exceptional software platform to meet the needs of all legal professionals. As Catherine continues to inspire everything we do at Clio, we want to highlight some of the amazing achievements we see every day from our customers.
Is there a fee to submit to the Reisman Awards?
No! Submitting to the Reisman Awards is completely free. Simply complete the submission form below.
Does my submission have to contain information from the past year only?
No! Feel free to use examples from beyond last year to illustrate your firm’s story. We want the full picture—if that means going back to what first inspired you to become a lawyer, by all means, dig deep. We can’t wait to hear about it.
How are the winners chosen?
Each submission will be evaluated by our panel of judges on how well it meets submission criteria. The only exception is the Legal Impact Award, which is brand new this year and will involve public voting—bringing Clio’s customer community into the Reisman selection process for the first time.
Why does Clio offer a customer recognition program?
From the very beginning, we have taken inspiration from our customers and the incredible things you do. From creating Clio to starting the Clio Cloud Conference, our goal has always been to help our customers succeed—because your success is our success. We started this awards program to hear and recognize your stories—and to share your accomplishments with the wider legal community.
What is the Diversity & Inclusion Award?
The Diversity & Inclusion Award is open to legal professionals and law firms that demonstrate a commitment to improving diversity and inclusion among marginalized communities in the legal profession. These communities might include members of historically or currently disadvantaged groups (including those from ethnic, racial, religious, or socioeconomic backgrounds that face discrimination or economic or social disadvantage), women, people with disabilities, vulnerable and at-risk populations, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, and other minorities and underrepresented groups.
I have more questions—whom should I contact?
Email [email protected] with any questions you have, or tweet us at @goclio.