Lawyers for Civil Rights’ annual reception marks our progress and charts a path forward to advance civil rights together. Each June, we gather in person to celebrate, reflect, and connect. We also present four awards honoring civil rights leaders at the center of our work to advance equity and justice.

View the 2026 Program Book → 

Sponsorship Contact: Katherine Mulkern, kmulkern@lawyersforcivilrights.org

Rosa Parks Keeper of the Flame Award

Lisa Owens

Executive Director, The Hyams Foundation

LCR is proud to honor Lisa Owens with the prestigious Keeper of the Flame Award, which commemorates the legacy of civil rights icon Rosa Parks. Lisa brings over 30 years of experience building local grassroots organizations and supporting local and national movements. As the Executive Director of the Hyams Foundation, Lisa supports Massachusetts-based racial justice organizing groups working to build power and transform systems. Lisa previously served as the Executive Director of City Life/Vida Urbana, a prominent housing justice group that organizes communities against displacement and builds collective power for systemic change. A move- ment builder and popular educator, Lisa has taught community organizing and nonprofit management courses at local universities. Currently, she serves on the boards of Boston Impact Initiative, Boston Ujima Project and Funders for LGBTQ Issues.

Legal Warrior Award

WilmerHale

At a time when many law firms have scaled back pro bono engagement, WilmerHale remains one of the few firms consistently standing shoulder to shoulder with LCR. With the 2026 Legal Warrior Award, we honor the firm’s willingness to uphold the autonomy of the legal profession in the face of heightened governmental pressure. We are deeply grateful for WilmerHale’s commitment to LCR and our clients over the years— defending diversity, reuniting separated families, safeguarding vulnerable people, and pursuing litigation and small business interventions that build hope. A steadfast commitment to pro bono has been WilmerHale’s hallmark since the early 20th century. Over the decades, WilmerHale has achieved groundbreaking pro bono victories. Today, as measured by The American Lawyer’s 2025 Pro Bono Scorecard, WilmerHale’s pro bono program ranks third among the 115 reporting firms.

Diversity Champion Award

The Boston Society of the Vulcans

LCR applauds The Boston Society of Vulcans’ efforts to protect and expand diversity and community representation at the fire department. Founded in 1969, the Vulcans are a community-based nonprofit organization of Black and Latino firefighters in Boston. Their mission is to encourage Bostonians to pursue public safety careers. The Boston Society of Vulcans is a member of the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters, an association formed in New York City to address the larger issue of racial discrimination that Black firefighters face nationwide. Through their core mission and daily actions, the Vulcans have long advocated for people of color to see themselves reflected at every level of the public safety sector. They support applicants of color through the hiring process and are committed to improving the workplace for people of color and women. The Vulcans’ advocacy at the State House led to the creation of a new fire cadet program, and regular events in local schools expose all children to careers in the fire department.

Economic Justice Champion Award

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

The Economic Justice Champion Award honors leaders who are actively working to close the racial wealth gap and foster entrepreneurship in under-resourced communities. For years, Mintz has been a steadfast pro bono partner to LCR BizGrow, providing hundreds of hours of free transactional legal support to small business owners and entrepreneurs. The Mintz team has played a critical role in drafting contract templates and fact sheets for small business owners; providing 1:1 legal assistance at BizGrow Winterfest and the BizGrow Boston Conference; supporting dozens of small business clients through pro bono representation; and delivering impactful workshops that directly enhance the capacity of small businesses. Now, as LCR prepares to open the doors of a new entrepreneurship hub at BizGrow Central, Mintz has once again stepped up to play a critical role in developing tools needed for the smooth operation of the expanded programming, including a new BizGrow Central member agreement, privacy policy, and more.