2012 John Minor Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Award

Nomination Process

John Minor Wisdom Award Guidelines

Individuals: The nomination package must include a resume or similar document describing the nominee’s principal areas of practice, the number of years of practice, professional achievements, bar association activities, and other public service contributions.

Firms: The nomination package for a firm must include the following:

1. A description of significant pro bono accomplishments of the firm during the prior year that fulfill the Selection Criteria for the Award.
2. A statement of how the firm promotes pro bono work within the firm, e.g., requiring a minimum pro bono contribution of all attorneys, crediting pro bono time as billable time for purposes of base compensation and bonus consideration, establishing relationships with legal services or other public interest organizations, providing administrative support, such as a firm-wide committee or coordinator in each office to promote pro bono efforts, or other programs or initiatives to encourage pro bono work on a firm-wide basis.
3. Separately stated, through September 30 of the current year, and for the entire preceding year;

• The number and percentage of attorneys in all U.S. offices who have dedicated at least 50 hours to pro bono work as defined by ABA Model Rule 6.1(a) & (b)(1) and Paragraph 7 of the Pro Bono Institute’s Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge. [1]
• The total number of hours that the firm’s U.S. offices dedicated to pro bono work.
• For all of the firm’s U.S. offices combined, the ratio of pro bono hours to total numbers of attorneys in such domestic offices during the relevant period.

Third party nominators should work together with nominated firms to compile the relevant information.  In the case of a small firm that does not have the ability to report hours in the manner requested, the nominations should so state and should include as much of the relevant data or comparable data as possible.

Submission Criteria*

Nomination Form: The nomination form must be completed and returned as the cover sheet for the nomination package.

Supporting Materials: These materials may include newspaper clippings, press releases and other publicity that describe the nominee’s contribution to diversity in the profession. Please note:  submission of electronic materials cannot exceed 4MB.  Documents exceeding 4MB must be sent through regular US mail or express mail to ensure delivery.

Letters of Support: Letters of support from individuals or organizations knowledgeable of the nominee’s contributions are welcome.

As only a small number of awards may be given each year, re-nominations of individuals or firms nominated in past years is encouraged.

In calculating the number of hours dedicated to pro bono work, firms nominations should include legal services provided without fee or expectation of fee to:

• persons of limited means or to charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental and educational organizations in matters which are designed primarily to address the needs of persons of limited means;
• (2) individuals, groups, or organizations seeking to secure or protect civil rights, civil liberties or public rights; and
• (3) charitable, religious, civic, community, governmental or educational organizations in matters in furtherance of their organizational purposes, where the payment of standard legal fees would significantly deplete the organization’s economic resources or would be otherwise inappropriate.

*Current Section of Litigation leadership is not eligible to receive the John Minor Wisdom Award.

Submission:  Please send materials to Linda Caradine-Poinsett at linda.caradinepoinsett@americanbar.org or by mail at American Bar Association, Section of Litigation, 321 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL  60654