Evansville Bar Association honors lawyer

A longtime lawyer received the Evansville Bar Association annual award in recognition of an attorney who has elevated respect for the law, promoted freedom, or otherwise furthered the ideals for which Law Day is celebrated.

At its Law Day dinner April 24, Thomas R. Bodkin, of the firm of Bamberger Foreman Oswald and Hahn, received the James Bethel Gresham Award for his dedication to the legal practice and for his community service.

The award is named in honor of James Bethel Gresham who lived in Evansville from 1901 to 1914 and is believed to have been the first American soldier to have given his life in combat during World War I.

Bodkin is the author of 19 published articles and two book chapters on topics related to the law; currently serves on the Indiana Civil Litigation Review Board of Editors; and continually strives to mentor and encourage young attorneys to educate others through publication or lecture.

His community work includes serving on the boards of both the National Alzheimer's Association and the Greater Kentucky and Southern Indiana Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. He has served as a member of the Citizens Advisory Counsel for the Indiana University School of Medicine – Evansville campus, and is a member of the St. Mary's Medical Center Ethics Committee and a member of the Human Research Committee for Deaconess Hospital.

He is general counsel to and a charter member of Historic Newburgh and a member of the Regional Advisory Committee for Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, among other community service.

Regarding this recognition, one attorney in his office stated, "It is against this backdrop that the Gresham Award was created: Service, honor, commitment, willingness to sacrifice, concern for the greater good over one's self, and a dedication to the community reflected by one's actions. Tom Bodkin's career has reflected all of these attributes."