ABA Juvenile Justice Committee established the Livingston Hall Juvenile Justice Award in 1985 to recognize lawyers practicing in the juvenile delinquency field who have demonstrated a high degree of skill, commitment, and professionalism in representing their young clients. Realizing that juvenile justice is too often overlooked, the Committee annually honors a lawyer who has positively and significantly contributed to the field and the children it serves.

The award is named in honor and in memory of Livingston Hall, a leader in the juvenile justice field and professor emeritus at Harvard Law School. As an early chair of the Committee, Hall was instrumental in securing ABA approval of the comprehensive Juvenile Justice Standards. This 24-volume set of black letter standards and commentary are as relevant and useful today as they were when first developed over ten years ago (click here for more information about the Standards).

Each year, the Juvenile Justice Committee seeks an unsung hero, an attorney working in the juvenile justice field who embodies both exceptional dedication and advocacy skills, as the recipient of the Livingston Hall Award. The nominee should be an active member of the bar, should devote a significant portion of his or her legal practice to youth and children, and should be making positive contributions to the field both in and outside the courtroom.

The Juvenile Justice Committee values the opportunity to review a diverse range of nominees. Clients, client organizations, fellow attorneys, judges, prosecutors, defenders, law clinics, agencies, and individuals are encouraged to make nominations. The award is an excellent way to honor an outstanding lawyer whose work and commitment to the rights and interests of children deserves special attention.

List of Past Recipients (1986 - )

Nomination form for the 2007 award. Contact Kristie Kennedy at kennedyk@staff.abanet.org for more information.