Sara Sommarstrom (’05) and George Byron Griffiths (’15) to Be Honored by Minnesota Justice Foundation

The Minnesota Justice Foundation (MJF) has announced that among the recipients of its Outstanding Service Awards this year will be Law School alumna Sara Sommarstrom (’05) and third-year law student George Byron "Geordie" Griffiths. The awards will be presented at the MJF Annual Awards Celebration on November 19.

Sommarstrom will receive the Direct Legal Service Award in recognition of her role as VETLAW (Veterans Employed Through Legal Advocacy Work) director at the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans. In that capacity, she works with attorneys and non-lawyers across the state to reduce and remove legal barriers to stability for veterans experiencing homelessness and other life crises. When she received her J.D. in 2005, Sommarstrom was honored with the Excellence in Public Service Award, given to one member of the Law School's graduating class annually. She subsequently worked at the MJF as a staff attorney and program director. She is an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law, where she was named the 2010 Faculty Woman of the Year. Sommarstrom co-chairs the ABA Coordinating Committee on Veterans Benefits and Services and is a member of the ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty. Earlier this year, she was named an Unsung Hero by the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

Griffiths will receive an MJF Law Student Volunteer Award. Prior to enrolling at the Law School, he spent three years working in special education and 15 years as a professional photographer. Since his 1L year, he has devoted himself to volunteer service in a variety of MJF placements, including the Wills for Heroes program, the Minnesota Indian Estate Planning Project, the Asylum Law Project, and the Street Law teaching program. Most notably, Griffiths has performed more than 260 hours of service as a volunteer guardian ad litem in Hennepin County, advocating for abused and neglected children. During his 2L year, he worked as a student attorney in the Civil Practice Clinic. He has served on the Law Council, as an admissions ambassador, and as an orientation leader. He has also been active in the OutLaw GLBT student group and on the MJF student chapter board, and for two years he served as president of OWLS (Older and Wiser Law Students).

The Minnesota Justice Foundation was incorporated in 1982 by Minnesota law students. Since then, the MJF has secured legal aid for thousands of underrepresented Minnesotans by coordinating the efforts of volunteer law students and attorneys.