The American Inns of Court Foundation confers these awards
annually. The awards program
encourages excellence and creativity and endeavors to expand the
vision of the American Inns of Court beyond the Foundation and
the individual American Inns of Court. The Foundation's
awards program is a respected symbol of not only the American Inns
of Court movement, but by the American legal profession as
well.
Given in the name of the founder of the first American Inn
of Court, this award is bestowed upon a member
of an American Inn of Court who, at the local,
state, or national level has provided distinguished,
exceptional and significant leadership to the
American Inns of Court movement. The recipient
exemplifies the qualities of leadership and commitment
displayed by Judge A. Sherman Christensen.
Judge Richard Linn, a past president and judicial counselor of
the Giles S. Rich Inn of Court, is the 2011 recipient of the
Christensen Award. His
vision and guidance have led to the formation and continued
success of 12 American Inns of Court in the last five years
and to the innovative Linn Inn Alliance, which connects the
now 16 intellectual property Inns nationwide.
This award is bestowed upon a person who has rendered
exemplary service in the areas of legal excellence,
professionalism and ethics. Attorneys, judges, government
officials, journalists, philanthropists or other
community leaders may be recipients of the award.
The Sandra Day O'Connor
Award honors an American Inn of Court member in practice ten or
fewer years for excellence in public interest or pro bono
activities.
The American Inns of Court
Professionalism Awards are awarded each year, on a
federal circuit basis, to a lawyer whose life and practice display
sterling
character and unquestioned integrity, coupled with ongoing
dedication to
the highest standards of the legal profession and the rule of
law.
This prize is a writing competition designed to encourage
outstanding scholarship that "promotes the
ideals of excellence, civility, ethics and
professionalism within the legal profession," the core mission
of the American Inns of Court. The American Inns of Court
invites judges, lawyers, professors, students, scholars, and
other authors to participate in the competition by submitting
an original, unpublished essay of 10,000 to 25,000 words on
a
topic of their choice addressing issues of legal excellence,
civility, ethics and professionalism. The author of the
winning essay will receive a cash prize of $5,000 and the
essay will be published in the South Carolina Law Review.
The American Inns of Court recognizes individual Inns that
achieve excellence and make significant
contributions in five core competencies:
Administration, Communications, Programs, Mentoring, and
Outreach.
In 2011, the Giles S. Rich Inn of Court achieved Platinum
level status (the highest level). In 2005, the
Giles S. Rich won the Model of Excellence Award
and, in subsequent years, achieved Circle of Excellence
Distinction. With your help, we aim to achieve
this status again this year.
The annual Program Awards recognizes outstanding
program development in local Inns
of Court.
The Best Special Project Award
recognizes different activities outside the Inn's
monthly meeting, which allows Inns to promote the mission of the
American Inns
of Court.