Nominations Sought for 2005 Thomas F. Blackwell Legal Writing Award

The Thomas F. Blackwell Memorial Award Committee is presently seeking nominations for the 2005 Thomas F. Blackwell Memorial Award that will be bestowed at the 2006 AALS conference.  The Boards of the Legal Writing Institute (LWI) and the Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) jointly created this Award to honor the life of our colleague, Tom Blackwell.  Criteria for the award are posted at the end of  this message.

Nominations by Friday, May 27, 2005 COB. We ask that you send your nominations, in confidence to Ruth Vance, the Chair of the Committee, by close of business (5:00 p.m. Central Daylight Savings Time) on Friday, May 27, 2005. Submit nominations to Ruth Vance at  or in paper by fax (219.465.7872) or U.S. mail.

The Committee requests that the nomination materials support as fully as possible the listed criteria as well as any other information the nominating person believes would help the Committee in its selection process.

If you are seeking to re-nominate a candidate you previously nominated, please note that the Committee does not retain nominations from earlier years. Therefore, we ask that you submit a new nomination with supporting materials.

Members of the LWI and ALWD governing boards and Award Committee members are not eligible. I have listed those Board members based on information currently posted on the organization websites.

In our inaugural year, the Award went to Richard K. Neumann of Hofstra University; in 2003 Pam Lysaght of Detroit Mercy was the recipient; and in 2004 Ralph Brill of Chicago-Kent took the honors. A plaque, listing the winners, is on display at Appalachian Law School.

Award Committee members, who will be choosing this year s recipient, include Ruth Vance (Valparaiso); Lisa Blackwell (Appalachian); Richard Neumann (Hofstra); Pam Lysaght (Detroit Mercy); Ralph Brill (Chicago-Kent); Terry Seligmann (Arkansas); and Brad Clary (Minnesota).

As soon as possible after close of nominations and Committee discussion, we will announce the Award winner.

Reprinted below are the Award"s Criteria and Process and the Joint Resolution creating the Award.

We thank Rebecca Cochran, the past Chair, for working out all the organizational details, and we look forward to receiving your nominations.

Sincerely,
The Thomas F. Blackwell Memorial Award Committee
Ruth C. Vance, Chair; Lisa Blackwell; Richard Neumann; Pam Lysaght; Ralph Brill; Terry Seligmann; and Brad Clary

The following people are NOT eligible to receive the Award:

CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS:

LWI: Dan Barnett; Linda H. Edwards; Anne Enquist; Elizabeth Fajans; Kristin Gerdy; Steve Johansen; Susan Hanley Kosse; James B. Levy; Sue Liemer; Tracy L. McGaugh; Carol McCrehan Parker; Ruth Anne Robbins; Judy Rosenbaum; Terry Jean Seligmann; Kathy Vinson

ALWD: Brad Clary; Kristen Gerdy; Jo Anne Durako; Grace Wigal; Amy Gajda; Michael Smith; Darby Dickerson; Jan M. Levine; Debra Green; Terry Pollman; Craig Smith; Diane Penneys Edelman; David Romantz; Judy Stinson

AWARD COMMITTEE:

Ruth Vance; Lisa Blackwell; Richard Neumann; Pam Lysaght; Ralph Brill; Terry Seligmann; Brad Clary

THOMAS F. BLACKWELL MEMORIAL AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN THE FIELD OF LEGAL WRITING: CRITERIA AND PROCESS

Criteria:

Honoring the life of Thomas F. Blackwell for his personal and professional qualities as a Legal Writing educator, the Legal Writing Institute and the Association of Legal Writing Directors give this award to recognize a person who has made an outstanding contribution to improve the field of Legal Writing by demonstrating:

  An ability to nurture and motivate students to excellence;

  A willingness to help other Legal Writing educators improve their teaching skills or their Legal Writing Programs;

An ability to create and integrate new ideas for teaching and motivating Legal Writing educators and students

Process:

1. The Award shall be presented at the annual January meeting of the American Association of Law Schools (AALS).

2. By May 31st of the year preceding the January presentation, the Award Committee shall have solicited nominees for the Award from the members of the Legal Writing Institute (LWI) and the Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD). The Committee shall request that nominations for the Award be sent privately to the Award Committee Chair.

3. The Award Committee, consisting of seven experienced legal writing professionals, shall be jointly appointed by the LWI and ALWD governing boards.

4. The Award Committee may consider a variety of factors related to the Criteria to select an Award recipient. These factors may include, among others, efforts to improve the status and security of Legal Writing educators; scholarship that is published or is presented at professional meetings; and efforts made to support and encourage other Legal Writing educators.

5. By July 31st of the year preceding the January meeting, the Award Committee will recommend a recipient to LWI and ALWD governing boards for their approval. The governing boards will vote to accept or reject the nomination and instruct the Committee as to the Award s presentation. No person serving as a member of the governing boards or as a member of the Award Committee may be a recipient of the Award.

6. The Award shall be in the amount of $1,000.00.

JOINT RESOLUTION - The Association of Legal Writing Directors and the Legal Writing Institute

PREAMBLE:

Whereas, Thomas F. Blackwell established himself as one of the most respected Legal Writing teachers and administrators in the country; and

Whereas, Thomas F. Blackwell continuously exhibited the traits that make members of the Legal Writing profession so unique in legal education namely, the ability to nurture and motivate students to achieve excellence; the willingness to help other legal writing professionals improve their teaching methods or their legal writing programs; the creativity to hone and integrate new ideas for teaching and motivating students and teachers; and

Whereas, Thomas F. Blackwell s life tragically ended far too soon, and deprived future students and the legal writing profession of his enormous talents, energy, and ideas,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

(1) The Association of Legal Writing Directors and the Legal Writing Institute establishes The Thomas F. Blackwell Memorial Award For Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Legal Writing;

(2) The Award shall be given annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the improvement of the field of Legal Writing.

(3) The Award shall be in the amount of $1,000.00.

(4) The governing boards of the Association of Legal Writing Directors and the Legal Writing Institute shall appoint a joint committee of 7 experienced legal writing professionals to solicit nominations for the Award from the membership of both organizations.

(5) The committee may consider a variety of factors in choosing the recipient of the Award, including: leadership activities on behalf of the field of legal writing; actions seeking to improve the status and security of legal writing professionals or to improve the quality of legal writing programs; publication of significant scholarship, including articles, books or presentations at professional meetings; and support or encouragement given to other legal writing professionals.