This list of legal awards is an index to articles related to notable awards for work related to the law, a system of rules that are created and enforced through social or governmental institutions to regulate conduct. [1] The list is organized by country, since contributions are typically to the law of a country rather than to international law, and are made by citizens of that country,
Country | Award | Sponsor | Given for |
---|---|---|---|
Belgium | Fernand Collin Prize for Law | University Foundation | Scientist who makes a significant contribution to law in Belgium [2] |
France | René Cassin Thesis Prize | Fondation René Cassin - Institut international des droits de l'homme | Best French-language and English-language dissertations worldwide in legal theory of human rights, international, regional or comparative human rights law. [3] |
Germany | Helmuth-James-von-Moltke-Preis | International Society for Military Law and the Law of War | Outstanding judicial works in the field of security policy [4] |
Great Britain | Yorke Prize | University of Cambridge | Essay of a University of Cambridge graduate which makes a substantial contribution to its relevant field of legal knowledge [5] [6] |
Italy | Marco Biagi Award | International Association of Labour Law Journals | Best article concerning comparative and/or international labour or employment law and employment relations [7] |
European Union | EPLO Thesis Prize Award | European Public Law Organization, formerly European Public Law Center | Best doctoral or postdoctoral public law thesis characterized by its European dimension [8] |
Norway | Holberg Prize | Government of Norway | for outstanding scholarly work in the arts, the humanities, social sciences, law, and theology, either within one of these academic fields alone or through interdisciplinary work [9] |
Switzerland | JB Scott Prize | Institut de Droit International | Best dissertation in international law in English, French, German, Italian, or Spanish worldwide . [10] |
United States | Burton Awards for Legal Achievement | Burton Foundation, Library of Congress | Various categories [11] |
United States | Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Law | Thomas Jefferson Foundation | Distinguished contributions in the field of Law [12] |
United States | American Bar Association Medal | American Bar Association | Exceptionally distinguished service by a lawyer or lawyers to the cause of American jurisprudence [13] [14] |
United States | Brandeis Award (litigation) | Federal Trade Commission | Outstanding litigators [15] |
United States | Brandeis Medal | University of Louisville | Commitment to the ideals of individual liberty, concern for the disadvantaged and public service [16] |
United States | Gruber Prize for Justice | Gruber Foundation | Individuals or organizations for contributions that have advanced the cause of justice as delivered through the legal system [17] [18] [19] [20] |
United States | Harrison Tweed Award | American Bar Association, National Legal Aid & Defender Association | Extraordinary achievements of state and local bar associations that develop or significantly expand projects or programs to increase access to civil legal services for poor persons or criminal defense services for indigents [21] |
United States | Morton A. Brody Distinguished Judicial Service Award | Colby College | United States federal or state judge who embodies the qualities of integrity, compassion, humanity, and judicial craftsmanship [22] |
United States | Silver Gavel Award | American Bar Association | Outstanding work by those who help improve comprehension of jurisprudence in the United States [23] [24] [25] |
United States | William O. Douglas Prize | National Communication Association | Those who contribute to writing about freedom of speech [26] |
United States | William J. Brennan Award | Various awards | In honor of William J. Brennan Jr. E.g. Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression; [27] District of Columbia Bar; [28] International Commission of Jurists; [29] Association of the Federal Bar of the State of New Jersey; [30] National Trial Advocacy College at the University of Virginia School of Law [31] |
United States | Thomas E. Dewey Medal | The New York City Bar Association (City Bar) | In honor of Thomas E. Dewey; presented annually to an outstanding assistant district attorney in each of the City’s District Attorney’s offices and in the Office of the City’s Special Narcotics Prosecutor. [32] |
United States | Best In Law Award | Best In Law | Honors those who exhibit unparalleled dedication to their clients, innovative legal strategies, and an unwavering commitment to upholding the principles of justice.. [33] |
United States | Lawyers of Distinction | Lawyers of Distinction | Is awarded to attorneys for their excellence and achievements in the legal field based on a rigorous review process that considers factors such as professional experience, case outcomes, and peer recommendations. Attorneys who meet the organization's criteria are recognized as Lawyers of Distinction and are provided with a platform to showcase their accomplishments. [34] |
United States | MyLegalWin | MyLegalWin | Recognizes leading attorneys and law firms across the United States for their commitment to legal excellence and client service. Through a selective process, which takes into account professional achievements, peer evaluations, and client satisfaction, honorees are distinguished as top performers in their field. MyLegalWin provides a platform for these legal professionals to enhance their reputation, connect with peers, and engage with clients through a variety of promotional opportunities. [35] |
United States | CALI Excellence for the Future Award | CALI and participating US law school | The CALI Award is given out to the student who receives the highest grade in a course as determined by the instructor and the law school administration. Over 130 US law schools participate in the award program which has been administered by CALI since 1995. |
Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) is a private law and public policy graduate school in South Royalton, Vermont. It is the only ABA-accredited law school in the state. It offers several degrees, including Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Laws (LLM) in Environmental Law, Master of Environmental Law and Policy (MELP), Master of Food and Agriculture Law and Policy (MFALP), Master of Energy Regulation and Law (MERL), and dual degrees with a diverse range of institutions. According to the school's 2018 ABA-required disclosures, 61.5% of the Class of 2018 obtained full-time, long-term, JD-required employment nine months after graduation.
Loyola Law School is the law school of Loyola Marymount University, a private Catholic university in Los Angeles, California. Loyola was established in 1920.
The Florida International University College of Law is the law school of Florida International University, located in Miami, Florida in the United States. The law school is accredited by the American Bar Association, and is the only public law school in South Florida. FIU College of Law is the third highest ranked law school in the state of Florida and is ranked in the top 60 in the nation. The College of Law had the highest July bar exam passage rate in the state of Florida consecutively for eight years (2015–2023).
The Appalachian School of Law (ASL) is a private law school in Grundy, Virginia. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and offers a three-year Juris Doctor degree to approximately 128 full-time students. The school was founded in 1994 and admitted its first class of students in August 1997. ASL was started and brought to Buchanan County, Virginia as a tool of economic development for the region. ASL emphasizes professional responsibility and alternative dispute resolution in its curriculum.
Syracuse University College of Law is a Juris Doctor degree-granting law school of Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. It is one of only four law schools in upstate New York. Syracuse was accredited by the American Bar Association in 1923 and is a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools.
Florida Coastal School of Law was a private for-profit law school in Jacksonville, Florida. It was established in 1996 and was the last operating of three for-profit law schools of the InfiLaw System owned by Sterling Partners. Because of funding and accreditation issues, the school closed its doors in 2021. U.S. News & World Report ranks Coastal Law 147-193, its lowest law school ranking. In July 2022, the school had the lowest Florida bar passage rate of all Florida law schools, at 31%.
Stetson University College of Law, founded in 1900 and part of Stetson University, is Florida's first law school. Originally located near the university's main campus in DeLand, Florida, the law school moved in 1954 to Gulfport, Florida. The law school occupies a historic 1920s resort hotel, the Rolyat Hotel, designed by Richard Kiehnel. The College of Law is accredited by the American Bar Association and has been a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 1931. The college also has a campus in Tampa, Florida that shares space with a working court, Florida's Second District Court of Appeal.
The Valparaiso University Law School was the law school of Valparaiso University, a private university in Valparaiso, Indiana. Founded in 1879, the school was accredited by the American Bar Association in 1929 and admitted to the Association of American Law Schools in 1930. In October 2016, the ABA censured the school for admitting applicants who did not appear capable of satisfactorily completing the school's program of legal education and being admitted to the bar. One year later, the school suspended admissions and shut down after the last class graduated in 2020.
The Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law is the law school of Drexel University, a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Established in 2006, it offers Juris Doctor, LLM and Master of Legal Studies degrees and provides for its students to take part in a cooperative education program.
Rodney A. Smolla, is an American author, First Amendment scholar and lawyer. Since 2022, he has served as the president of the Vermont Law and Graduate School, and was the 11th president of Furman University from 2010 to 2013.
Raymond Theodore Nimmer (1944–2018) was an attorney and former dean of the University of Houston Law Center in Houston, Texas.
William J. Brennan, Jr., who authored the opinion in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, has several awards named in his honor, which are presented to individuals for dedication to public interest and free expression. Awards named after William J. Brennan, Jr. are presented by the following organizations.
Fali Sam Nariman was an Indian jurist. He was a senior advocate to the Supreme Court of India from 1971 and was the President of the Bar Association of India from 1991 to 2010. Nariman was an internationally recognised jurist on international arbitration. He was honoured with the 19th Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2018. He was one of India's most distinguished constitutional lawyers and argued several leading cases. He was the Additional Solicitor General of India from May 1972 to June 1975.
Evan Anderson Davis is a New York City attorney with the law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, and a former president of the New York City Bar Association.
Jerome Joseph "Jerry" Shestack was a Philadelphia lawyer and human rights advocate active in Democratic Party politics who served as president of the American Bar Association (ABA) from 1997 to 1998. He chaired the International League for Human Rights for twenty years, and was appointed the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights from 1979 to 1980 by President Jimmy Carter. Shestack was regularly listed on the National Law Journal's list of the 100 most influential U.S. lawyers. He had multiple grandchildren the youngest being Andrew Justice Doss.
The American Bar Association's Model Rules of Professional Conduct (MRPC) are a set of rules and commentaries on the ethical and professional responsibilities of members of the legal profession in the United States. Although the MRPC generally is not binding law in and of itself, it is intended to be a model for state regulators of the legal profession to adopt, while leaving room for state-specific adaptations. All fifty states and the District of Columbia have adopted legal ethics rules based at least in part on the MRPC.
Cooley Law School (Cooley) is a private law school in Lansing, Michigan, and Riverview, Florida. It was established in 1972. At its peak in 2010, Cooley had over 3,900 students and was the largest US law school by enrollment; as of the Spring of 2022, Cooley had approximately 500 students between its two campuses. In November 2020, Western Michigan University's board of trustees voted to end its affiliation with Cooley, which began in 2014, with disassociation effective November 5, 2023. As of 2024, Cooley has failed to reach the 75% two year bar passage required of ABA Standard 316 for continued accreditation. Multiple media outlets have labeled Cooley the "worst law school in America".
The William O. Douglas Prize is given by the Commission on Freedom of Expression of the Speech Communication Association to honor those who contribute to writing about freedom of speech. The Award is named after William O. Douglas, who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1939 to 1975.
The Silver Gavel Award is an annual award the American Bar Association gives to honor outstanding work by those who help improve comprehension of jurisprudence in the United States.
Women in law describes the role played by women in the legal profession and related occupations, which includes lawyers, paralegals, prosecutors, judges, legal scholars, law professors and law school deans.