The AALS Section on Pro Bono & Access to Justice present three awards during the AALS Annual Meeting each January.
Lifetime Achievement Award
The AALS Pro Bono & Access to Justice Section Lifetime Achievement Award honors those who have
significantly advanced pro bono and public service in the law school setting over the course of their
career.
Who may be nominated: Any Dean, faculty, or staff at an AALS member school.
Evaluation Factors include some or all of the following:
- Length of career/service in law school setting.
- Nominators can discuss how the nominee has significantly advanced pro bono and public service in the law school setting though examples of some or all of the following:
- Leadership (How has the nominee inspired others to act?)
- Program design/management (How has the nominee created opportunities for others to serve?)
- Scholarship (How has the nominee advanced, deepened, or disseminated the discourse around pro bono and/or public service?)
- Innovation (How has the nominee changed the way pro bono and/or public service is taught, practiced, or treated?)
- Impact (How has the nominee impacted access to justice in the law school or broader community?)
- Personal pro bono service (How has the nominee set an example of pro bono
service?)
Access to Justice Award
The AALS Pro Bono & Access to Justice Section Access to Justice Award honors those who manage Pro Bono Programs and who have removed barriers to justice and/or improved legal services to individuals
unable to pay for such services.
Who may be nominated: Any Dean, faculty, or staff at an AALS member school who has
designed or managed a pro bono program.
Evaluation factors include some or all of the following:
- If the nominee manages a Pro Bono Program, what has been the impact of the pro bono program on clients, the surrounding community, and law students/law school?
- How has the nominee increased awareness of the role law students and lawyers should play in addressing the justice gap?
- How has the nominee otherwise advanced the access to justice movement?
- How has the nominee addressed systemic access to justice issues?
Emerging Leader Award
The AALS Pro Bono & Access to Justice Section Emerging Leader Award honors early-to-mid career staff or faculty who have made an outstanding contribution to pro bono and public service in the law school setting.
Who may be nominated: Faculty or staff at an AALS member school who have been working in a
pro bono/public service role at a law school for approximately two to six years.
Evaluation factors may include some or all of the following:
- Leadership (How has the nominee inspired others to act?)
- Program design/management (How has the nominee created opportunities for others to serve?)
- Scholarship (How has the nominee advanced, deepened, or disseminated the discourse around pro bono and/or public service?)
- Innovation (How has the nominee changed the way pro bono and/or public service is
taught, practiced, or treated?) - Impact (How has the nominee impacted access to justice in the law school or broader community?)
Personal pro bono service (How has the nominee set an example of pro bono service?
NOMINATION GUIDANCE
- Nomination deadline is mid-September of each year (2024 deadline will be posted).
- Nominations of others or oneself may be made by any member of AALS.
- Re-nomination of persons who have been previously nominated but not selected is encouraged.
- See list of prior awardees.
- Email a nomination letter (no longer than 5 pages) to Cate Carbonaro, Secretary of the AALS Section on Pro Bono and Access to Justice, at [email protected].
- Nomination letters may be accompanied by no more than three letters of support.
- Please use a descriptive subject line such as “Nomination of xxx by xxx for the xxx Award,” or “Letter of support for nomination of xxx for xxx award from xxx.”
- Nomination letters may be accompanied by no more than three letters of support.
- Optimally the nomination and letters of support will be submitted together as one PDF.
Contact Cate Carbonaro ([email protected]) with questions.