The National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys is pleased to announce that the coveted Henry J. Sommer Scholarship for the 2016 Annual NACBA’s Annual Convention (May 19-22, 2016, San Francisco, CA) has been awarded to Grace B. Pazdan, Consumer Rights Attorney with Vermont Legal Aid. This prestigious scholarship, which covers registration fees and materials, was created in recognition of the extraordinary contributions to NACBA by President Emeritus Henry J. Sommer (Board of Directors 1992 to 2011 and President 2005 to 2008). Ms. Pazdan was chosen from a vast field of accomplished consumer bankruptcy attorneys.

NACBA Executive Director, Dan LaBert said, “We applaud Ms. Pazdan on her many impressive achievements and dedication to serving low-income, elderly and disabled consumers facing foreclosure and debt collection. We are very happy to provide her the opportunity and resources to help elevate her bankruptcy practice.”

Ms. Pazdan graduated summa cum laude from the American University Washington College of Law in 2006. During her law school years, She was a 2005 Equal Justice Foundation Summer Fellowship Recipient, the 2005 Choice USA Generation Award, Legal Rights Award Recipient and a recipient of the Montgomery County Women’s Bar Foundation Scholarship along with being the President of the Woman’s Law Association and Co-Director of Law Students for Choice. In 2008, she served for two years as the first Vermont Poverty Law Fellow, based at VLA where she drafted and advocated for legislation that resulted in Vermont enacting a mediation program for homeowners facing foreclosure. Currently, Ms. Pazdan is the only legal services attorney in the state of Vermont that provides free representation in bankruptcy court for low income Vermonters.

A summary of Ms. Pazdan’s convention experience will be published in the Summer 2016 edition of NACBA’s Consumer Bankruptcy Journal.

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