SPZ Legal Honored with Kathi Pugh Award for Exceptional Mentorship

San Francisco, CA – May 9, 2024 – SPZ Legal is proud to announce that our firm has been awarded the prestigious Kathi Pugh Award for Exceptional Mentorship by the Pro Bono Program at Berkeley Law. This honor recognizes our dedication to mentoring and supervising law students engaged in pro bono work through Berkeley Law’s Student-Initiated Legal Services Projects (SLPS). SPZ Legal won the award for our work with the Startup Law Initiative (SLI) at Berkeley Law. 

Each year, the Kathi Pugh Award is presented to outstanding supervising attorneys who have demonstrated a strong commitment to mentoring and supporting SLPS students. Recipients of this award have inspired and motivated students to continue providing pro bono services to the community and have significantly contributed to the development of students' lawyering skills.

SPZ Legal has supervised the SLI program at Berkeley Law for several years. SLI provides an opportunity for students to get hands-on transactional law experience while providing free incorporations and other legal advice to low-income and diverse startup founders.  

SPZ Legal was nominated by SLPS leaders and participants, who stated “SPZ Legal exemplifies compassionate lawyering at the intersection of private and public interest law, and SLI believes that the SPZ Legal team wholly deserves to be recognized for their mentoring, service, and commitment to the spirit of pro bono through the Kathi Pugh Award.”

This collaborative effort has empowered students to make meaningful contributions to their communities while honing their legal expertise and assisting the entrepreneur community.

The Kathi Pugh Award underscores SPZ Legal's mission to provide exceptional legal services while fostering a culture of mentorship and professional growth. We are proud to be recognized for our efforts and remain dedicated to supporting law students and the broader community through our continued involvement in SLI!