FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 21, 2026
2026 Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award recognizes more than three decades of public service, leadership, and advocacy for Guam and Pacific Island communities.
(Hagåtña, Guam) ‒ Attorney Alicia Garrido Limtiaco, the first woman elected Attorney General of Guam and the first woman to serve as United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, has been named a recipient of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association’s (NAPABA) 2026 Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award, the association’s lifetime achievement award and highest honor. The award recognizes attorneys whose achievements and leadership ‘paved the way for the advancement of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) attorneys,’ and made lasting contributions to the legal profession and the AANHPI community. Attorney Limtiaco will be recognized alongside this year’s honorees at the 2026 NAPABA Convention in Los Angeles. “Protecting individuals from violence and abuse has guided my career in public service. This work must put victims, survivors, and their families at the center, respecting their choices and responding to their needs while prioritizing their safety and well-being. They deserve to be heard, treated with dignity, and supported by people and institutions they can trust. This recognition from NAPABA reinforces my commitment to standing alongside them,” Attorney Limtiaco said. Attorney Alicia Limtiaco’s career spans more than three decades of legal practice, public service, education, and advocacy. She served as Attorney General of Guam from 2007 to 2010. Following her nomination by President Barack Obama and confirmation by the United States Senate, she served as United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands from 2010 to 2017. Her work addressing violence and abuse began well before those appointments. While serving as Lead Prosecutor of the Criminal Sexual Conduct and Family Violence Unit and working alongside community partners, she helped draft Guam’s 1994 and 1998 Family Violence Acts and initiated the drafting and implementation of family violence protocols used by the Prosecution Division and Guam Police Department. She also worked on proposed legislation establishing the Healing Hearts Rape Crisis Center and helped strengthen the laws and procedures governing the response to abuse. “I share this recognition with the victims, survivors, and families we worked with to protect and support, and with those still seeking justice,” Attorney Limtiaco said. “They deserve to have their voices heard wherever decisions affecting their lives are made. I remain committed to standing with them and working with other stakeholders to turn our collective advocacy into action.”--MORE-- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 21, 2026 Attorney Alicia Garrido Limtiaco Named Recipient of NAPABA’s Highest Honor for Breaking Barriers and Advancing Justice 2026 Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award recognizes more than three decades of public service, leadership, and advocacy for Guam and Pacific Island communities. Alicia A.G. Limtiaco, Esq.As the first woman elected Attorney General of Guam and the first woman to serve as United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, Attorney Alicia Limtiaco was responsible for enforcing the law and protecting the public. Her work against human trafficking, sexual assault, and child exploitation brought prosecutors and investigators together with victim advocates, healthcare professionals, educators, faith organizations, and community leaders. Those partnerships supported investigations, prosecutions, victim services, professional training, and prevention. Her work included coordinating training on Guam and in the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia. In 2013, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center recognized her contributions with its Visionary Voice Award. “Meaningful progress takes a team with a shared purpose,” Attorney Limtiaco stated. “A leader must listen to the people closest to the problem, bring the right expertise together, establish clear responsibilities, and follow through. The people depending on us deserve that commitment, especially when the work becomes difficult.” Attorney Limtiaco also served in legal and leadership roles within the Judiciary of Guam, including Director of Policy, Planning, and Community Relations; Lead Litigation Counsel; and Acting Administrator of Court Programs, with responsibilities that included grants administration. Appointed Regulation Counsel under the Supreme Court of Guam in September 2021, she served through January 2026, with responsibilities involving attorney discipline and professional accountability. Her teaching at the University of Guam, Guam Community College, and the Basic Law Enforcement Academy also helped prepare future public servants and law enforcement officers. Attorney Limtiaco added, “I also share this honor with the attorneys who have devoted their careers to serving our people on Guam, including those who left home to study law and returned to serve. Their understanding of our community matters as our justice system evolves. Their work helps people navigate the courts, protects fairness and due process, and shows future attorneys that there is important work for them here at home.” For Attorney Limtiaco, the recognition renews a sense of purpose that began in childhood. “As a child, I believed in fairness and tried to stand up for people who were being hurt, bullied, or treated unfairly,” Attorney Limtiaco recalled. “Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work alongside people who share that conviction. Part of that responsibility is helping our youth and young adults see a future for themselves in the legal profession and supporting them as they pursue it.” Attorney Alicia Limtiaco is the first Pacific Islander and first attorney from Guam to serve on NAPABA’s Board of Governors. She joined the NAPABA Board of Governors as an At-Large Member in 2025. She was instrumental in advancing a NAPABA resolution urging consultation with local and Indigenous communities concerning deep-sea mining affecting American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Endorsed in May 2026, NAPABA’s Resolution urges consultation with local and Indigenous populations and adherence to applicable laws regarding deep-sea mining in American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Past recipients of the Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award include former U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris (2012); U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono (2001); former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Washington Governor Gary Locke (2006); former Acting U.S. Solicitor General Neal Katyal (2007); former U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai (2023); and Honorable Sabrina S. McKenna (2015), Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Hawaiʻi. For additional inquiries or questions, please email media.agl.guam@gmail.com. ###