Awards

AJA American Gavel Awards

The American Gavel Award for Distinguished Reporting about the Judiciary was created in 2009 to recognize the highest standards of reporting about courts and the justice system. The award recognizes legal journalism at its best, and highlights the importance of journalism in educating the public about the legal system and the fundamental principles and values upon which that system is based.

American Judges Association Awards

Chief Justice Richard W. Holmes Award of Merit
"To a judge for outstanding contributions to the judiciary."

Judge William H. Burnett Award
"To an AJA member for outstanding service to the Association."

Glenn R. Winters Award
"To a lay person who has made a substantial contribution toward improving the image of the judiciary."

Judge Bob Jones Memorial Award
"To recognize significant contributions to Judicial Education by a member of AJA."

• Download nomination form (.pdf)

Award Recipients

Award of Merit (renamed Chief Justice Richard W. Holmes Award of Merit in 2000)

1971 Chief Justice Warren Burger, U.S. Supreme Court
1972 Justice Paul Reardon, Massachusetts
1973 Judge John J. Sirica
1974 Chief Justice William S. Richardson, Hawaii
1975 Chief Justice Howell Heflin, Alabama
1976 Chief Justice James R. Finch, Missouri
1977 Chief Justice C. William O'Neil, Ohio
1978 Chief Justice Edward F. Hennessey, Massachusetts
1979 Chief Justice Albert W. Barney, Vermont
1980 Chief Justice Mary S. Coleman, Michigan
1981 Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, U.S. Supreme Court
1982 -----
1983 Chief Justice Lawrence Cooke, New York
1984 -----
1985 Chief Justice John A. Dixon, Jr., Louisiana
1986 Chief Justice Herman Lum, Hawaii
1987 Chief Judge Sol Wachtler
1988 -----
1989 Chief Justice C.C. Torbert, Jr., Alabama
1990 -----
1991 -----
1992 Chief Justice Richard W. Holmes, Kansas
1993 -----
1994 Hon. V. Robert Payant, Dean, National Judicial College
1995 Hon. Donald F. Campbell
1996 Hon. Roger K. Warren, President, National Center for State Courts
1997 Chief Justice Joseph R. Weisberger, Rhode Island
1998 Justice George Nicholson, California
1999 Hon. Patricia Ann Blackmon
2000 Hon. Thomas A. Zlaket, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Arizona
2001 Hon. W.H. “Dub” Arnold, Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Arkansas
2002 Hon. Judith S. Kaye, Chief Judge, New York Court of Appeals
2003 -----
2004 -----
2005 -----
2006 -----
2007 Hon. Michael Cicconetti
2008 -----

Judge William H. Burnett Award

1974 Lawrence Mann
1975 Philip Fairbanks
1976 M. Michael Gordon
1977 David Golden
1978 Joseph A. Zingales
1979 John P. Forte
1980 George Inglehart
1981 Thomas G. Smith
1982 Kaliste Saloom
1983 Ira Raab
1984 Carolyn Dimmick
1985 Richard Holmes
1986 John E. Brown
1987 Rupert A. Doan
1988 S.J. Elden
1989 John J. Tobin
1990 George G. Crawford
1991 Barbara T. Yanick
1992 Thomas C. Nurre
1993 Martin E. Kravarik
1994 Jerome A. Gertner
1995 Oliver S. Delery
1996 Gregory T. Evans
1997 Gerald T. Elliott
1998 -----
1999 Jefrrey Rosinek
2000 John A. Mutter
2001 Steve Leben
2002 Gayle Nachtigal
2003 -----
2004 Ron Garvin
2005 Michael McAdam
2006 -----
2007 James F. McKay, III
2008 -----

Glenn R. Winters Award

1973 Alice O'Donnell
1974 Edward B. McConnell
1975 Congressman Peter R. Rodino
1976 James Kilpatrick
1977 -----
1978 C. Raymond Judice
1979 Joan Kroc
1980 -----
1981 Senator Strom Thurmond
1982 James P. Economos
1983 Archibald Cox
1984 Beatrice Monahan
1985 Charles Whitebread
1986 Lester E. Cingcade
1987 Keith Goehring
1988 -----
1989 -----
1990 -----
1991 -----
1992 Professor Daniel J. Freed
1993 -----
1994 Eileen Newsome & Susan Rogers
1995 -----
1996 Daniel L. Coburn
1997 -----
1998 Hope Lochridge, Texas Municipal Courts Education Center
1999 Hugh M. Collins
2000 -----
2001 Vernon D. Gleaves
2002 Tom Henderson
2003 -----
2004 California State Senators Dick Ackerman & Joseph Dunn
2005 -----
2006 -----
2007 -----
2008 -----

Judge Bob Jones Memorial Award

1983 Hon. Sterry Waterman
1984 Andrew Bucaro
1985 R. Patrick West
1986 Edward W. Pliska
1987 -----
1988 -----
1989 Norris Shealy
1990 -----
1991 -----
1992 Robert D. Marshall
1993 Richard Lee Price
1994 Leslie G. Johnson
1995 Pascal Calogero
1996 -----
1997 Francis X. Halligan, Jr.
1998 -----
1999 Eileen Olds
2000 Robert Pirraglia
2001 Elizabeth Pollard Hines
2002 Gerald Elliott
2003 -----
2004 Frederick Horn
2005 -----
2006 Richard Kayne and John Conery
2007 Mary Celeste
2008 Kimberly Frankel

Past Award Recipients (.pdf)