Burton Awards for Legal Achievement
Encyclopedia
Nature of the Burton Awards: The awards program is designed to reward major achievements in the law ranging from literary awards to the greatest reform in law. The awards are selected, generally, by professors from Harvard Law School
, the University of Pennsylvania Law School
, and the University of Michigan Law School
, and a judge, among others. Judge Richard Posner
of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
, Judge Alex Kozinski
of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
, Judge Carol Corrigan
of the Supreme Court of California
, and Judge James D. Ward of the California Court of Appeal (retired) are honorary members on the board of directors.
Each year 30 Legal Writing Awards are chosen from partners at the largest law firms in the nation. 15 Law School Awards are also given out. Five other Burton Awards are presented annually which include "The Record of Distinction Award," given to law firms and law schools which have had winners for three or more years, "Outstanding Contributions to Legal Writing Education Award," "ALA Prominent Publication Awards," and the new "Morrison & Foerster Regulatory Innovation Award."
The award ceremonies are annually held at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. Guest speakers have included Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, and well known hosts and commentators Tom Brokaw, Tim Russert, Chris Matthews, George Will, and Bob Schieffer, among others. Bill Press is the master of ceremonies.
The Burton Foundation is a nonprofit cultural and academic organization devoted to further promoting the stature of the legal profession.
Founder & Chairman
The creator of The Burton Awards for Legal Achievement is William C. Burton, a partner in the law firm of Sagat/Burton LLP http://www.sagatburton.com in New York City. He is a former New York State Assistant Attorney General, former New York State Assistant Special Prosecutor, and has written the authoritative reference book, BURTON'S LEGAL THESAURUS, (4th edition), published by McGraw-Hill.
William C. Burton, Partner at Sagat|Burton LLP;
Judge Richard Posner, US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circ.;
Judge Alex Kozinski, US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circ.;
Justice Carol A. Corrigan,Supreme Court of California;
Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye, NYS Court of Appeals, Retired;
Justice James D. Ward, Justice of California Court of Appeal, Retired;
Dennis Smith, Former Senator and Member of the Judiciary Committee, Missouri Legislature;
Stephen R. Mysliwiec, Partner at DLA Piper;
Nancy Schultz, Esq. Representative of the Association of Legal Writing Directors;
Geralyn M. Presti, General Counsel of SVP & Assistant Secretary, Forest City Enterprises, Inc.
Patricia L. Groff, CLM, Director of Administration for Butz Dunn & DeSantis
Anne E. Kringel, Esq., Vise Chair;
Grace Tonner, Esq.;
Judge Edward Forstenzer;
William Ryan;
William C. Burton Ex-Offio
http://www.burtonawards.com/archive.html
2009
The 2009 event was held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. on June 15, 2009. Allen I. Fagin, chairman of Proskauer Rose LLP, was Dinner Chair. Bill Press was the Master of Ceremonies.
National Award winners:
The Book of the Year in Law: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and Author Bryan Garner;
Lifetime Reform In Law Award: New York State Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye(retired);
Inaugural Morrison & Foerster Regulatory Innovation Award: Chairman Sheila C. Bair
LIfetime Writing in Law and Entertainment Award: Renowned Television Screenwriter David E. Kelley;
Outstanding Contributions to Legal Writing Education Award: Professor Richard K. Neumann, Jr.
Legends in Law' winners:
Linda V. Tiano, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Health Net Inc., nominated by Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
;
Brackett B. Denniston III, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of General Electric Company, nominated by Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker
;
Teri P. McClure, Senior Vice President of Legal, Compliance and Public Affairs, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of United Parcel Service, Inc., nominated by Morrison & Foerster LLP;
Michael Ettinger, Corporate Senior Vice President of Henry Shein, Inc; nominated by Proskauer Rose LLP;
Charles W. Matthews, Vice President and General Counsel of ExxonMobil Corporation, nominated by Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP;
Stanley F. Baldwin, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of AMERIGROUP Corporation, nominated by Williams Mullen;
George J. Lykos, Chief Legal Officer of Bayer Corporation, nominated by Barlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP;
James J. Bender, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the Williams Companies
, nominated by Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden, & Nelson, P.C.;
Bart Colli, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of ARAMARK, nominated by Cozen O'Connor
Law Firm winners:
Bowman and Brooke LLP; Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione; Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP; Davis Polk & Wardell; Debevoise & Plimpton LLP; DLA Piper LLP; Downes Hurst & Fishel LLP; Faegre & Benson LLP; Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP; Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto; Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP; Gordon & Rees LLP ; Jackson Walker LLP; Kelley Drye & Warren LLP; Kilpatrick Stockton LLP; King & Spalding; Krieg DeVault LLP; Moffatt Thomas Barrett Rock & Fields, Chtd; Morrison & Foerster LLP; Perkins Coie LLP; Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pitman LLP; Proskauer Rose LLP; Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP; Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Maegher & Flom LLP; Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP; Sullivan & Cromwell LLP; Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP; White & Case LLP; Winston & Strawn LLP
Association of Legal Administrators, National Publication Award winners:
Best Law Firm Profile: Nixon Peabody LLP, Elizabeth Kennedy;
Best Law Firm Newsletter: Fisher & Phillips LLP, Angela Pinto;
Best Law Firm Publication: Butler, Snow, O'Mara, Stevens & Cannada, PLLC, Lance Bonner;
Best Law Firm Advertisement: Landye Bennett Blumstein LLP, Linda R. Lehmann;
Best Law Firm Compendium: Morrison & Foerster LLP, Anna T. Penedo and Amy Baumgardner;
Best Law Firm Comprehensive Analysis: Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Anthony Arbisi
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
, the University of Pennsylvania Law School
University of Pennsylvania Law School
The University of Pennsylvania Law School, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania. A member of the Ivy League, it is among the oldest and most selective law schools in the nation. It is currently ranked 7th overall by U.S. News & World Report,...
, and the University of Michigan Law School
University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
, and a judge, among others. Judge Richard Posner
Richard Posner
Richard Allen Posner is an American jurist, legal theorist, and economist who is currently a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago and a Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School...
of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:* Central District of Illinois* Northern District of Illinois...
, Judge Alex Kozinski
Alex Kozinski
Alex Kozinski is Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, an essayist, and a judicial commentator.-Biography:...
of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
, Judge Carol Corrigan
Carol Corrigan
Carol Ann Corrigan is an Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court.- Background :Corrigan, the daughter of a newspaperman, grew up in the San Joaquin Valley city of Stockton, California. She graduated from Saint Mary's High School in Stockton, and attended the then women-only Catholic...
of the Supreme Court of California
Supreme Court of California
The Supreme Court of California is the highest state court in California. It is headquartered in San Francisco and regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Its decisions are binding on all other California state courts.-Composition:...
, and Judge James D. Ward of the California Court of Appeal (retired) are honorary members on the board of directors.
Each year 30 Legal Writing Awards are chosen from partners at the largest law firms in the nation. 15 Law School Awards are also given out. Five other Burton Awards are presented annually which include "The Record of Distinction Award," given to law firms and law schools which have had winners for three or more years, "Outstanding Contributions to Legal Writing Education Award," "ALA Prominent Publication Awards," and the new "Morrison & Foerster Regulatory Innovation Award."
The award ceremonies are annually held at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. Guest speakers have included Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, and well known hosts and commentators Tom Brokaw, Tim Russert, Chris Matthews, George Will, and Bob Schieffer, among others. Bill Press is the master of ceremonies.
The Burton Foundation is a nonprofit cultural and academic organization devoted to further promoting the stature of the legal profession.
Creator
William C. Burton, Esq.http://www.burtonawards.com/about.htmlFounder & Chairman
The creator of The Burton Awards for Legal Achievement is William C. Burton, a partner in the law firm of Sagat/Burton LLP http://www.sagatburton.com in New York City. He is a former New York State Assistant Attorney General, former New York State Assistant Special Prosecutor, and has written the authoritative reference book, BURTON'S LEGAL THESAURUS, (4th edition), published by McGraw-Hill.
Award Categories
http://www.burtonawards.com/awards.html- Distinguished Writing Awards- Category of Law Firms http://www.burtonawards.com/awards.html Presented to the best law firm authors of articles dealing with legal issues published in the previous year.
- Distinguished Writing Awards- Category of Law Schools http://www.burtonawards.com/awards-student.html Presented to the best law school authors of articles dealing with legal issues published in the previous year.
- Record of Distinction Awards- Category of Law Firms and Law Schools This award is given annually to law firms which have had winners in the program for 3 or more years. It is felt that this achievement is a direct reflection on the quality of writing by the partners at the law firm. Moreover, this award is given annually to law schools which have had winners in the program for 3 or more years. It is felt that this achievement is a direct reflection on the quality of writing by the students at the law school.
- Outstanding Contributions to Legal Writing Education Award http://www.burtonawards.com/awards-legal.html Presented for outstanding contributions to the education of new lawyers in the field of legal analysis, research and writing, whether through teaching, program design, program support, innovative thinking or writing.
- ALA Publication Awards http://www.burtonawards.com/ala-awards.html
- Best Law Firm Publication: This award is given for the best law firm publication, whether a periodical or otherwise, that is not a newsletter or a firm profile. It is an omnibus category which judges the presentation of the material, the breath and extensiveness of the analysis, and, and the effectiveness of writing.
- Best Law Firm Compendium:This award honors an in-depth comprehensive analysis of the law on a subject. The judgiing criteria include clarity, ease of reference, and writing expertise.
- Best Firm Profile: The award is given to the best written, finest designed, and most effective promotional brochure about a firm.
- Best Law Firm Newsletter: This award is given for the finest written, most interesting, and best designed law firm newsletter.
- Best Law Firm Advertisement: This category was judged for its design, message and effectiveness in relating a message
- The Legends in Law Awards http://www.burtonawards.com/legends-award.html* Category of General Counsel This selection is made on the following criteria: reputation in both the legal profession and as a proven authority in a specialized area of law; background and experience; complexity and scope of matters handled; global or national impoortance of issues confronted and proven and exemplary leadership in law.
- Book of the Year Award Presented to the authors of the most outstanding book in the profession of law.
- The Morrison and Foester Regulatory Innovation Award http://www.burtonawards.com/news-regulatory.html This award honors an academic or public official whose innovative ideas have made a significant contribution to the discourse on regulatory reform in the arena of corporate governance, securities, capital markets or financial institutions.
Selection Process
The quality and number of submissions by law firms and law schools is extremely competitive. Award recipients are selected from nominations by deans of all of the law schools in America, as well as from nominations by managing partners of the 1000 largest U.S. law firms.http://www.burtonawards.com/board.htmlHonorary Board of Directors
http://www.burtonawards.com/board.htmlWilliam C. Burton, Partner at Sagat|Burton LLP;
Judge Richard Posner, US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circ.;
Judge Alex Kozinski, US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circ.;
Justice Carol A. Corrigan,Supreme Court of California;
Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye, NYS Court of Appeals, Retired;
Justice James D. Ward, Justice of California Court of Appeal, Retired;
Dennis Smith, Former Senator and Member of the Judiciary Committee, Missouri Legislature;
Stephen R. Mysliwiec, Partner at DLA Piper;
Nancy Schultz, Esq. Representative of the Association of Legal Writing Directors;
Geralyn M. Presti, General Counsel of SVP & Assistant Secretary, Forest City Enterprises, Inc.
Patricia L. Groff, CLM, Director of Administration for Butz Dunn & DeSantis
Academic Committee
Virginia Wise, Esq. Chair;Anne E. Kringel, Esq., Vise Chair;
Grace Tonner, Esq.;
Judge Edward Forstenzer;
William Ryan;
William C. Burton Ex-Offio
Summary of 2009 event
http://www.burtonawards.com/event2009_winners.htmlhttp://www.burtonawards.com/archive.html
2009
The 2009 event was held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. on June 15, 2009. Allen I. Fagin, chairman of Proskauer Rose LLP, was Dinner Chair. Bill Press was the Master of Ceremonies.
National Award winners:
The Book of the Year in Law: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and Author Bryan Garner;
Lifetime Reform In Law Award: New York State Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye(retired);
Inaugural Morrison & Foerster Regulatory Innovation Award: Chairman Sheila C. Bair
LIfetime Writing in Law and Entertainment Award: Renowned Television Screenwriter David E. Kelley;
Outstanding Contributions to Legal Writing Education Award: Professor Richard K. Neumann, Jr.
Legends in Law' winners:
Linda V. Tiano, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Health Net Inc., nominated by Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is an international, full-service law firm with strengths in the energy, financial services, real estate and technology sectors and offices located throughout the United States and the world, including key financial centers such as New York, London, Tokyo and...
;
Brackett B. Denniston III, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of General Electric Company, nominated by Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker
Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker
Paul Hastings LLP, formerly known as Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, is a leading international law firm with 18 offices worldwide. Paul Hastings serves a diverse client base that includes many of the top financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies....
;
Teri P. McClure, Senior Vice President of Legal, Compliance and Public Affairs, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of United Parcel Service, Inc., nominated by Morrison & Foerster LLP;
Michael Ettinger, Corporate Senior Vice President of Henry Shein, Inc; nominated by Proskauer Rose LLP;
Charles W. Matthews, Vice President and General Counsel of ExxonMobil Corporation, nominated by Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP;
Stanley F. Baldwin, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of AMERIGROUP Corporation, nominated by Williams Mullen;
George J. Lykos, Chief Legal Officer of Bayer Corporation, nominated by Barlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP;
James J. Bender, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of the Williams Companies
Williams Companies
The Williams Companies, Inc. is an energy company based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Its core business is natural gas exploration, production, processing, and transportation, with additional petroleum and electricity generation assets...
, nominated by Hall, Estill, Hardwick, Gable, Golden, & Nelson, P.C.;
Bart Colli, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of ARAMARK, nominated by Cozen O'Connor
Law Firm winners:
Bowman and Brooke LLP; Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione; Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP; Davis Polk & Wardell; Debevoise & Plimpton LLP; DLA Piper LLP; Downes Hurst & Fishel LLP; Faegre & Benson LLP; Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP; Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto; Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP; Gordon & Rees LLP ; Jackson Walker LLP; Kelley Drye & Warren LLP; Kilpatrick Stockton LLP; King & Spalding; Krieg DeVault LLP; Moffatt Thomas Barrett Rock & Fields, Chtd; Morrison & Foerster LLP; Perkins Coie LLP; Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pitman LLP; Proskauer Rose LLP; Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP; Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Maegher & Flom LLP; Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP; Sullivan & Cromwell LLP; Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP; White & Case LLP; Winston & Strawn LLP
Association of Legal Administrators, National Publication Award winners:
Best Law Firm Profile: Nixon Peabody LLP, Elizabeth Kennedy;
Best Law Firm Newsletter: Fisher & Phillips LLP, Angela Pinto;
Best Law Firm Publication: Butler, Snow, O'Mara, Stevens & Cannada, PLLC, Lance Bonner;
Best Law Firm Advertisement: Landye Bennett Blumstein LLP, Linda R. Lehmann;
Best Law Firm Compendium: Morrison & Foerster LLP, Anna T. Penedo and Amy Baumgardner;
Best Law Firm Comprehensive Analysis: Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, Anthony Arbisi