2018 Nomination Form
THE THOMAS H. MORSCH PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD
nAME OF NOMINEE: ______
ORGANIZATION: ______
ADDRESS: ______
______
PHONE: ______EMAIL: ______
NOMINATED BY: ______
FIRM OR ORGANIZATION: ______
ADDRESS:______
______
PHONE: ______EMAIL: ______
To nominate someone for this award, submit this form, plus the following documents, by May 10, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.:
- A narrative stating why you are nominating this individual. This narrative should include a summary of how the nominee meets the award criteria (see following page);
- A current copy of the individual’s resume;
- A maximum of three (3) support letters: and
- Any relevant information about the nominee, such as articles or newspaper clippings.
Please submit all documents by email .
Please address all documents to:
Dina Merrell
The Chicago Bar Foundation
321 S. Plymouth Court, Suite 3B
Chicago, IL 60604
Questions? Please contact Dina Merrellat 312/554-1206 or.
The Thomas H. Morsch Public Service Award
The Thomas H. Morsch Award, which includes a cash prize generously provided by the Morsch family, was established to recognize and reward exemplary lawyers who choose public service work as a career.
This Award is presented by The Chicago Bar Foundation. It is named after Thomas H. Morsch, a former partner at Sidley Austin, and a leader in the Chicago legal community who has championed the cause of public interest law for more than 40 years. Mr. Morsch headed Sidley Austin’s commercial litigation department from 1973-1995, was a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and supervised the firm’s Committee on Pro Bono and Public Interest Law for 20 years. He was the first Director of the Small Business Opportunity Center at Northwestern University School of Law, now known as The Donald Pritzker Entrepreneurship Law Center. Additionally, he has served as president of the CBF and in leadership positions on the boards of numerous other charitableand legal organizations.
Criteria:
- A nominee must be a Chicago area licensed attorney who is employed by a nonprofit legal aid or public interest law organization.
- The recipient will be selected based on one or more of the following:
A)Excellence in the quality of his or her work and the length and breadth of his or her career in public service;past Morsch Award recipients have worked at legal aid or public interest law organizations a minimum of 15 years;
B)Innovation in the delivery of legal services;
C) Leadership within the agency by which he or she is employed; and
D)Lack of public recognition for his or her dedicated efforts.
Nomination Requirements:
- Completed nomination form;
- Narrative that addresses why the nominator believes the candidate would be a worthy recipient of this award and how the candidate meets the award criteria;
- Candidate’s resume and a maximum of three letters of support; and
- The nomination deadline isMay 10, 2018;see nomination form for submission instructions.
Past Recipients:
2017Daniel Lesser, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
2016Timothy J. Hufman, LAF
2015Phillip J. Mohr, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation
2014Denice Wolf Markham, Life Span
2013Thomas Yates, Health & Disability Advocates
2012Marta C. Bukata, Chicago Legal Clinic
2011Richard T. Cozzola, Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago
2010Benjamin S. Wolf, Roger Baldwin Foundation of ACLU, Inc.
2009Margaret Stapleton, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law
2008Alan A. Alop, Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago
2007Ann Hilton Fisher, AIDS Legal Council of Chicago
2006 Eugene C. Edwards, Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago
2005Alan Mills, Uptown People’s Law Center
2005 Andrew J. Cohen, Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (Special Award)
2004Susan Kaplan, Community Economic Development Law Project
2003Frances Corwin, Legal Aid Bureau of Metropolitan Family Services
2002Marshall J. Hartman, Office of the Illinois Appellate Defender
2001Margaret C. Benson, Chicago Volunteer Legal Services Foundation
2000William P. Wilen, National Center on Poverty Law
1999Edward I. Grossman, Chicago Legal Clinic
1998Laurene M. Heybach, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless