Arizona Vulnerable Adult Advocate and Attorney, Denice Shepherd, Receives National Award

The National Guardianship Association (NGA) awarded Arizona Attorney Denice R. Shepherd the Outstanding Affiliate Member Award for policy reform leadership, educational outreach and advocacy for Arizona’s vulnerable adults.
Shepherd serves on the Arizona Supreme Court Probate Oversight Committee, charged with reviewing and adopting court procedures to provide for the protection of vulnerable and incapacitated persons. As a member of the Board of Directors for the Arizona Fiduciaries Association, Shepherd travels throughout the state and country to educate professional guardians, social workers, attorneys and fiduciaries on the legal and ethical aspects of protecting vulnerable adults.
Shepherd is known in the legal community for championing both legal and ethical policies to serve the best interests of wards. “My staff and I are committed to protecting and supporting vulnerable adults in Arizona,” said Shepherd. “Our priority is to safeguard their health, welfare and resources, but we are also steadfast in our commitment to preserve their quality of life.”
In addition to her outreach endeavors to raise the standard of care and protection for vulnerable adults, Shepherd teaches future members of the legal profession at clinics for low income adults seeking to become guardians of minors.
In the same week she received the NGA Outstanding Affiliate Member Award, she was named recipient of the 2010 Attorney of the Year award, by Southern Arizona Legal Aid's Volunteer Lawyers Program for her pro bono working the area of wills, estates, probate. In June of this year, Shepherd was named one of the top 50 pro bono attorneys in Arizona by the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education.