Press Release

2008 Light of Hope Awards

April 24, 2008

Paralegal Yvette Hardney was honored as the recipient of a Light of Hope award at the annual event on Friday, April 18, 2008. Yvette has been a Department of Law employee since September 5, 2000, and a paralegal in the Child Protection Section since December 1, 2002. Yvette provides paralegal support to assistant attorneys general representing the Office of Children's Services in child protection proceedings. As a paralegal, Yvette is responsible for putting together trial notebooks, organizing exhibits, reading and purging discovery, interviewing witnesses and arranging for trial testimony, and answering questions and inquiries from all parties in child protection cases. As an experienced paralegal in the Child Protection Section, Yvette is valued for her institutional memory, knowledge of procedures, and her ability to get things accomplished, even when the task appears impossible to others. Even though Yvette's work is in the background, the child protection process would come to a standstill without her, and other paralegals, daily hard work. She serves the children of Alaska in a great way. Congratulations Yvette.

The Light of Hope started in 2000 as a national movement designed to provide hope for abused and neglected children and to recognize the extraordinary efforts of individuals whose lights shine on these children. April is National Child Abuse Prevention month, dedicated to the many children who live with abuse and neglect. During the month of April, hundreds of communities across the U.S. will come together at Light of Hope events to honor the promise of remembering the plight of America's abused, abandoned, and neglected children.

Other Department of Law employees nominated for Light of Hope awards were Assistant Attorneys General Susan Wibker and Steven Bookman.

Judge Sen Tan was also the recipient of a Light of Hope award for his work as a Superior Court Judge including, amongst other things, his work on the CARE Court. Judge Tan, along with Judge Mark Rindner, runs the weekly therapeutic court for families whose children are in custody due to the complex issues of substance abuse. The CARE Court is a team of therapists, social workers, Native service providers, guardians ad litem, children's treatment providers, substance abuse treatment counselors, and attorneys. Assistant Attorney General Steven Bookman is the Attorney General's representative on the CARE Court team. In accepting the award, Judge Tan stressed the importance of all members of the CARE Court team.

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.