Established by the American Bar Association and the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities in 1992, the Thurgood Marshall Award honors U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, who epitomized individual commitment, in word and action, to the cause of civil rights in this country. The award recognizes similar long-term contributions by other members of the legal profession to the advancement of civil rights, civil liberties, and human rights in the United States.

The Robert F. Drinan Award for Distinguished Service recognizes individuals whose sustained commitment to the Section has advanced its mission of providing leadership to the legal profession in protecting and advancing human rights, civil liberties, and social justice. The Award is traditionally given at the ABA Midyear Meeting.

Each year, the Section recognizes one of its Committees for contributing vitally to the American Bar Association’s policies, and furthering the Section’s mission of providing leadership to the legal profession in protecting and advancing human rights, civil liberties, and social justice. The award is traditionally given at the Annual Meeting and is accompanied by a luncheon, recognizing the work of the Committee.

By becoming a member of the Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities, you will connect with a dynamic network of peers working to advance civil rights and social justice.

Additionally, IRR has 16 committees for those who would like to get involved in the Section's substantive work. If you are already a member of the Section, join a committee by filling out and emailing this downloadable form.

Each of our Section members receives a subscription to Human Rights, our award-winning quarterly magazine. For decades, it has been a trusted source of expert ideas, opinions, and discourse on a diverse array of topics in the human and civil rights arena. Take a look.

In addition to Human Rights, we publish a quarterly newsletter with internal Section updates, event information, legislative and Supreme Court news of interest, and more. A print subscription is included with Section membership and the ABA Package Plan. The public may access an electronic version of the most recent issue or browse through the online archive of back issues.

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ABA Section of Individual Rights & Responsibilities
740 15th Street, NW, 10th Floor,
Washington, DC 20005-1009
Phone: (202) 662-1030
Fax: (202) 662-1031