arvesters of Hope—a nonprofit foundation created to address Alabama’s underserved “legal deserts”—recently received one of 10 annual awards presented by the Association for Continuing Legal Education, or ACLEA, to organizations and professionals in continuing legal education and legal publishing.
The organization formally received the Steven Leleiko Memorial Award for Professional Excellence in Public Interest at ACLEA’s annual meeting in Boston on July 26. The award recognizes organizations that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to the public interest and provide legal services to historically marginalized and underrepresented populations.
“Receiving the Steven Leleiko Memorial Award for Professional Excellence in Public Interest is a profound honor,” Harvesters of Hope Executive Director Tom Heflin said. “This tribute belongs to our entire community—our participants, grantors, board members, and staff—whose daily commitment guarantees that dignity, equity, and opportunity remain within reach for everyone. We proudly share this achievement with the people we serve.”
Heflin and Alabama State Bar President Tom Perry founded Harvesters of Hope in 2025 to encourage new lawyers to establish legal practices in underserved rural Alabama counties. The organization provides those lawyers with mentoring and support while partnering with local leaders, courts and organizations to promote long-term community investment.
