Playton Receives Gerald R. Mason Professionalism Award

CHEYENNE – The Wyoming State Bar is pleased to announce that Dona Playton, an attorney from Laramie, is this year’s recipient of the Gerald R. Mason Professionalism Award. The award was presented at this year’s Annual Meeting & Judicial Conference, which took place last week at the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center in Laramie, Wyoming.

This is the sixth annual Gerald R. Mason Professionalism Award, which was presented by Wyoming State Bar President, Devon O’Connell.

This award is given to a Wyoming attorney who, over the course of his or her career, has embodied the spirit of Wyoming State Bar Past President, Gerald R. Mason’s phrase “Proud to Be a Wyoming Lawyer,” and who serves as an example to others by having the highest professionalism standards to which all members of the Wyoming State Bar should aspire.

“Dona has dedicated her life and her practice to representing victims of domestic violence and educating students and lawyers about the dynamics of domestic violence,” said O’Connell. “She is the founder of the Family and Child Legal Advocacy Clinic at the UW law school and has assisted in the authorship and drafting of the forms for pro se divorces. She has recently taken a new job in Denver. Wyoming will suffer a true loss with her departure.”

Playton is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Wyoming College of Law. She teaches Domestic Violence Law, Children and the Law, and directs the Family and Child Legal Advocacy Clinic. She has authored several publications including a domestic violence bench book used by Wyoming judges, a Women’s Law Handbook published by the Wyoming Commission on Women’s Issues, numerous articles and presentations on violence against women, child advocacy and family law issues. She also serves on the Wyoming Trial Lawyers Association (WTLA) Board, the Access to Justice Foundation Board, the Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence and many more.

Playton was recently hired as the Director of the Honoring Families Initiative at the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System at the University of Denver. She will begin at her new position in January 2017.

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