Awards + Recognitions

The Harold Albritton Pro Bono Leadership Award seeks to identify and honor individual lawyers who through their leadership and commitment have enhanced the human dignity of others by improving pro bono legal services to our state’s poor and disadvantaged. The award will be presented during Pro Bono Month (October).

In order to nominate an individual for this award, please submit no more than two single-spaced pages that provide specific, concrete examples of the nominee’s performance of as many of the following criteria as apply:

1. demonstrated dedication to the development and delivery of legal services to persons of limited means or low income communities through a pro bono program;
2. contributed significant work toward developing innovative approaches to delivery of volunteer legal services;
3. participated in an activity that resulted in satisfying previously unmet needs or in extending services to underserved segments of the population; OR
4. successfully achieved legislation or rule changes that contributed substantially to legal services to persons of limited means or low income communities.

To the extent appropriate, include in the award criteria narrative a description of any bar association activities applicable to the above criteria.

Nominations must be submitted by August 1, to ASB Volunteer Lawyers Program Director Linda Lund via email at linda.lund@alabar.org.

The Board of Bar Commissioners of the Alabama State Bar will receive nominations for the William D.”Bill” Scruggs, Jr. Service to the Bar Award through April 15. Nominations should be prepared using this form and mailed to:

Alabama State Bar
P.O. Box 671
Montgomery, AL 36101

The William D. “Bill” Scruggs, Jr. Service to the Bar Award is given to those members of the Alabama State Bar that have made significant contribution(s) and outstanding, long-term service to the bar.

The Bill Scruggs Service to the Bar Award was established in 2002 to honor the memory of and accomplishments on behalf of the bar of former state bar President Bill Scruggs. The award is not necessarily an annual award. It must be presented in recognition of outstanding and long-term service by living members of the bar of this state to the Alabama State Bar as an organization. Nominations are considered by a five-member committee which makes a recommendation to the Board of Bar Commissioners with respect to a nominee or whether the award should be presented in any given year. The award will be presented at a ceremony during the Annual Meeting of the Alabama State Bar.

The Local Bar Award of Achievement recognizes local bar associations for their outstanding contributions to their communities. Awards will be presented during the Alabama State Bar Annual Meeting. Local bar associations compete for these awards based on their size – large, medium or small.

The following criteria will be used to judge the contestants for each category:

• The degree of participation by the individual bar in advancing programs to benefit the community;
• The quality and extent of the impact of the bar’s participation on the citizens in that community; and
• The degree of enhancements to the bar’s image in the community.

To be considered for this award, local bar associations must complete and submit an award application by June 1.

Click here to download the application

The Board of Bar Commissioners of the Alabama State Bar will receive nominations for the J. Anthony “Tony” McLain Professionalism Award through April 15. Nominations should be prepared using this form and mailed to:

Alabama State Bar
P. O. Box 671
Montgomery, AL 36101-0671

The purpose of the J. Anthony “Tony” McLain Professionalism Award is to honor the leadership of Tony McLain and to encourage the emulation of his deep devotion to professionalism and service to the Alabama State Bar by recognizing outstanding, long-term and distinguished service in the advancement of professionalism by living members of the Alabama State Bar.

Nominations are considered by a five member committee which makes a recommendation to the Board of Bar Commissioners with respect to a nominee or whether the award should be presented in any given year. The award will be presented at a ceremony during the Annual Meeting of the Alabama State Bar.

The Alabama State Bar Board of Bar Commissioners will receive nominations for the state bar’s Judicial Award of Merit through March 15. Nominations should be mailed to:

Board of Bar Commissioners
P.O. Box 671
Montgomery, AL 36101-0671

The Judicial Award of Merit was established in 1987. The award is not necessarily an annual award. It must be presented to a judge who is not retired, whether state or federal court, trial or appellate, who is determined to have contributed significantly to the administration of justice in Alabama. The recipient is presented with a crystal gavel bearing the state bar seal and the year of presentation at the Alabama State Bar Annual Meeting.

Nominations are considered by a three-member committee appointed by the president of the state bar, which then makes a recommendation to the board of bar commissioners with respect to a nominee or whether the award should be presented in any given year.

Nominations should include a detailed biographical profile of the nominee and a narrative outlining the significant contribution(s) the nominee has made to the administration of justice. Nominations may be supported with letters of endorsement.

The Alabama State Bar Pro Bono Awards recognize the outstanding pro bono efforts of attorneys, mediators, law firms and law students in the state. The award criteria includes but is not limited to the following: the total number of pro bono hours or complexity of cases handled, impact of the pro bono work and benefit for the poor, particular expertise provided or the particular need satisfied, successful recruitment of other attorneys for pro bono representation, and proven commitment to delivery of quality legal services to the poor and to providing equal access to legal services. Awards are presented at the Annual Meeting of the Alabama State Bar.

The Women’s Section of the Alabama State Bar is currently seeking nominations for the Maud McLure Kelly Award.

The award, named for the first woman admitted to practice law in Alabama, is presented each year by the Women’s Section to a female attorney who has made a lasting impact on the legal profession and has been a pioneer and leader within the state. The Women’s Section is honored to present this award named after a woman whose commitment to women’s rights was and continues to be an inspiration for all women in Alabama. Previous recipients include the Hon. Janie L. Shores, Alice Lee, Nina Miglionico, Sara Dominick Clark, Frankie Fields Smith, Marjorie Fine Knowles, Mary Lee Stapp and Ernestine S. Sapp.

Nominations should include the name of the nominee, nominee’s career background and any information/documentation that demonstrates the manner in which the nominee has been a pioneer and has made a lasting impact on the Alabama legal profession. Please send nominations to Women’s Section Chair Allison Skinner via email at askinner@acesin.com.

This award is presented by the Women’s Section in memory of Susan Bevill Livingston who practiced law at Balch & Bingham. The recipient of this award must demonstrate a continual commitment to those around her as a mentor, a sustained level of leadership throughout her career and a commitment to her community in which she practices, such as, but not limited to, bar related activities, community service and/or activities which benefit women in the legal field and/or in her community. The candidate must be or have been in good standing with the Alabama State Bar and have at least ten (10) years of cumulative practice in the field of law. This award may be given posthumously. This award will be presented at a special reception.

Please send nominations to Women’s Section Chair Allison Skinner via email at askinner@acesin.com.