John Minor Wisdom Public Service and Professionalism Awards

Nomination Process

A nomination submission should include the following:

1. Nomination Form

The nomination form [] must be completed and returned as the cover sheet for the nomination package. Photocopies of the form are acceptable.

2. Description of Qualifications

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.

3. Supporting Materials

These materials may include newspaper clippings and other publicity that describe the nominee’s contribution in the area of public service.

4. Letters of Support

Letters of support from other individuals or organizations knowledgeable about 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.

For more information, contact Sharyne Tu at tusharyne@staff.abanet.org or 312/988-6069.

1. 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:
   (1) 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.

Selection Criteria

The Wisdom Award recognizes service by career public interest lawyers and lawyers from all areas of practice, including large firms, solo practitioners and corporate counsel.  The Award also recognizes firms that have made a substantial commitment to public service through their accomplishments in significant pro bono litigation and their support of pro bono work on a firm-wide basis.

Each year awards may be given in the following categories:

• A lawyer in private practice or corporate counsel office
• A lawyer who is employed by a legal services or other public interest program
• A law firm

Recipients will be selected based on fulfilling one of more of the following:

1. provided sustained, exceptional direct representation of poor, disenfranchised or other under-represented individuals or groups;
2. created new or expanded means of access to the legal system for these individuals or groups;
3. provided representation in one or more cases that resulted in significant changes in statutory or case law to benefit these individuals or groups.
4. For firms, in addition to reviewing the firm’s pro bono accomplishments according to the above three criteria, we will also review how law firm nominations reflect the commitment of the firm as a whole to pro bono and the creativity and commitment with which the firm has encouraged pro bono work among its attorneys.

The Wisdom Awards Subcommittee of the Section of Litigation’s Pro Bono and Public Interest Practice Committee will review all nominations.  The Subcommittee’s recommendations will be forward to the Council of the Section of Litigation for its approval.  Recipients will be invited as the Section’s guests to attend the Awards presentation held during the Section Annual Meeting.

Six copies on three-hole punch paper of the complete nomination package should be submitted to:

Wisdom Awards
ABA Section of Litigation
Attention:  Sharyne Tu
321 N. Clark Street, 18th Floor
Chicago, IL  60610