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Illinois Institute for Local Government Law |
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“You deserve an award.” Does that phrase just ring in your ears? Awards are not usual in the life of an attorney, at least not for legal work. Certainly, attorneys receive awards for specific achievements, church volunteerism, or certainly monetary awards for a successfully litigated case, but how often are attorneys recognized in the legal profession for work accomplished? Not often.
The Illinois Institute for Local Government Law recognizes the potential for the recognition of local government lawyers. The Institute began this practice in 2001, presenting awards to attorneys who foster professional education, interaction, and exchange among other governmental attorneys, as well as those who have made outstanding contributions to local government law in the field of litigation, innovation, and over their lifetime in their careers.
The first awards were given at the Institute’s Annual Conference in February of 2001 and have been given continuously since then. The awards fall into the following categories: Litigation, Innovation, and Distinguished Service for both current year and lifetime achievement.
The Litigation Award may be made to a firm or attorney who has established favorable legal precedent for local governments during the preceding year. Past Litigation Awards have gone to Mathias Delort for his work on the case decided by the Illinois Supreme Court, Marconi v. Chicago Heights Police Pension Board, et al.; Tim Bishop for his work in the Supreme Court case of Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Joan Fencik and Steven A. Weiss for their work on the U.S. Supreme Court case of Thomas v. Chicago Park District; Mara Georges for the City of Chicago’s successful litigation throughout the year 2002 and John Mullen for his work in the Stokovich demolition case. The 2009 Litigation Award went to Ken Florey and Nanci Rogers for success litigating Napleton vs Hinsdale. The 2010 Litigation Award went to John B. Murphey for Walker v. Calument City and Mann v. Calumet City. In 2011 ILGL awarded Sarah Jansen, McHenry County States Attorney, for Koehler v. Illinois Liquor Control Commission and Julian Henriques, Jr. forPortis v City of Chicago and American Beverage v City of Chicago. John B. Murphey was presented with the ILGL Litigation award at the 2012 Annual Conference for two cases: Christian Assembly Rios de Agua Viva v. City of Burbank and Nowak v. City of Country Club Hills.
The Innovation Award is given to a firm or individual attorney who has developed a new or novel way of approaching a local government legal issue, either through the development of an ordinance, legislation or procedure designed to solve a problem or create an opportunity for a unit of local government. Innovation awards have been presented to Steve Mahrt, Corporation Counsel for the Town of Normal, for developing a pay-by-mail city court system; Joe Hooker and Rhonda Olds, both Assistant City Attorneys for Champaign, who were instrumental in developing an ordinance prosecution networking group which meets monthly and which has a list service; to the Municipal Prosecutors’ Group and Wayne Karplus, Ann Marie Lampariello-Perez, and Steve Holz for their efforts to encourage other members toward higher standards by promoting a seminar devoted completely to municipal prosecution. The 2012 Innovation Award was given to Frederick Stavins for his work in developing the ILGL Info Share networking site.
An Annual Distinguished Service Award is made to an attorney who has, during the previous calendar year, exemplified the Mission Statement of the Illinois Institute for Local Government Law, and the attorney or firm has promoted professional education, information, exchange, and interaction among local government attorneys. Past Annual Achievement Awards have gone to Jack Waaler, Rhonda Olds, Wayne Karplus, Steve Holz, Ann Marie Perez, and Sonni Williams for proposing and preparing the new Supreme Court Rules for local ordinance violations, Thomas A. Thanas, and Justice Tom Kilbride. The 2010 Annual Distinguished Service Award went to Ronald G. Matekaitis. In 2011 ILGL honored Mara S. Georgis as the 2011 Distinguished Service Award recipient.
A Distinguished Service Award for Lifetime Achievement may also be made to an attorney or firm who has promoted the ideals of the Institute over a career for a period of 25 years or longer. Past Lifetime Achievement Awards have gone to Richard Williams, Thomas W. Kelty, Dr. James M. Banovetz, Jack Waaler, Robert Mangler, Murray Ross Conzelman, John Zimmermann, Jack Siegel, Bill Quinlan, Chapman and Cutler (Kelly Kost, Pat Curtner and Timothy McGree), Pat Lucansky and Kurt Froehlich, and the late Robert E. Becker. In 2009 Terry Barnicle of Klein, Thorpe, & Jenkins was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. The 2010 Distinguished Service Award for Lifetime Achievement went to Barry L. Moss. In 2011 the board voted to rename the ILGL Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of Robert J. Mangler. The 2012 Robert J. Mangler Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Ronald N. Schultz.
The Institute is now seeking award nominations for the following awards for calendar year 2011, which will be announced at the Institute’s Annual Conference in February, 2012.
• Local Government Litigation Award. Established favorable precedent for local governments
• Local Government Innovation Award. Novel approach to local government issues
• Local Government Distinguished Service Awards (Annual and Lifetime). Distinguished service to profession inpromoting education, information exchange and interaction among local government attorneys
Nomination rules and forms are available from the Institute by calling (815) 752-6925 or on the Institute’s website at www.ilgl.us. To receive full consideration, nominations should be made on or before January 8, 2011.
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Illinois Institute for Local Government Law |
