BCBA Awards 

The Award of Merit is the highest honor given to a member of the Boulder County Bar Association. It is presented to a Boulder County lawyer in recognition of their substantial dedication to the legal process: an unsung hero whose contributions may have gone unnoticed, but who personifies the very best in the profession. The Award of Merit was given out concurrently with the Ron Porter award until 2003 when the two awards were merged into the Ron Porter Award of Merit. In 2021, the Award of Merit was renamed in honor of Sonny Flowers.

The BCBA has chosen to award the 2026 Sonny Flowers Award of Merit to Bruce Wiener largely due to his dedication to serving the public through his work at Bridge to Justice (B2J), a non-profit that provides free legal services to indigent residents of Boulder County, mainly in the areas of domestic relations and landlord-tenant matters. Mr. Wiener is the founder and executive director of B2J, and he also handles many contentious DR and protection order matters as counsel.

The Young Lawyer Award is presented in recognition of the achievement of a lawyer in practice in Boulder County who has been admitted into the bar for less than 5 years, or who is 37 years old or younger; whose energy, enthusiasm and ability have contributed significantly during the past year through volunteer services to the community, bar association activities or significant legal achievements. 

The BCBA has chosen to honor Ugyen Tshering for the 2026 Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year Award due to his commitment to helping community. He spends a tremendous amount of time litigating in Boulder County Justice Center, including eviction defense cases for Bridge to Justice. He consistently volunteers and helps individuals through the BCBA's Virtual and In-Person Legal Clinics. Ugyen has truly committed himself to helping the Boulder County community. 

Award Winners

This award is given to a BCBA member who has contributed significant legal services for the poor and elderly. The nominee is presented for approval by Colorado Legal Services. This award is presented yearly at the Colorado Legal Services annual Pro Bono Awards Luncheon.

2018 was the inaugural year for the newly established Paul Bierbaum Memorial Fellowship in memory of his tireless support of legal services for the underserved and his compassionate engagement in causes furthering access to justice for the poor and the vulnerable.