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Indiana Lawyer readers, have you nominated a deserving attorney for our annual Leadership in Law awards? We know it’s the start of the year, and it’s an especially busy time (when isn’t it?), but time is running out — nominations must be made by noon Jan. 31. You can nominate deserving lawyers here.
Our Leadership in Law program annually recognizes Distinguished Barristers — outstanding lawyers with 20 or more years of professional service — and Up and Coming Lawyers, who are standout attorneys in their first 10 years of practice.
In honor of the new year of 2020, here are 20 reasons you should nominate a deserving lawyer, and why our Leadership in Law awards merit your attention:
1. They are prestigious — just 15 honorees are selected each year as Distinguished Barristers and 15 are chosen as Up and Coming Lawyers.
2. The awards are merit-based.
3. Anyone can nominate any eligible attorney.
4. Any eligible lawyer anywhere in Indiana may be nominated.
5. The awards seek to recognize diversity in the legal profession.
6. The awards seek to recognize legal professionals in all practice areas, from private practitioners to judges; from in-house counsel to those in nonprofits and public service.
7. Community involvement and engagement are important factors.
8. In judging Distinguished Barrister nominees, mentoring of younger legal professionals also is a consideration. Complete Leadership in Law criteria is available here.
9. All nominations are reviewed, and winners are chosen by an impartial panel.
10. Because the Leadership in Law awards are peer-nominated and independently chosen, the honors are more distinguished than other attorney recognition programs.
11. Leadership in Law honorees will be featured and profiled in a special supplement in the April 29, 2020, print and online editions of Indiana Lawyer.
12. Award winners will receive a personalized plaque recognizing their selection as a Distinguished Barrister or an Up and Coming Lawyer.
13. Award recipients will be celebrated at a special Leadership in Law recognition event hosted by Indiana Lawyer in May.
14. The recognition event is light and lively, and each award recipient is individually recognized.
15. As networking opportunities go, the Leadership in Law recognition event is first-rate, gathering lawyers of all ages, from all walks of life, at the top of their game.
16. Past Leadership in Law honorees are invited to attend the May recognition events each year. You never know who may show up!
17. Honorees in the coming 15th Leadership in Law class will join the select group of attorneys who have been honored in the program since 2006, bringing the total number to 450.
18. Leadership in Law recipients’ achievements live on — the complete list of past winners is always available online here.
19. You still have about three weeks to nominate a deserving lawyer (or two or three!) Nominations are open until noon Jan. 31.
20. Finally, in the immortal words of John Belushi’s Bluto from “Animal House,” nominating a deserving attorney “don’t cost nothin’.”
Of course, I am biased, but I believe Indiana Lawyer’s annual Leadership in Law awards are the best and most prestigious independent recognition program going for Hoosier attorneys. We strive to honor the most deserving lawyers across disciplines and across the state. Our past honorees represent a who’s who of the Indiana legal community.
But we count on you to tell us who the most deserving folks are. I hope you’ll take a moment to nominate someone you consider a Distinguished Barrister or an Up and Coming Lawyer. Nominate someone worthy of this special recognition. On behalf of the Indiana Lawyer staff, here’s wishing you a happy and prosperous 2020.•
• Dave Stafford — [email protected] — is editor of Indiana Lawyer. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
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