The nomination period has closed for the 2013 Partnership Awards. Check back soon to find out the winners!

The ABA Partnership Awards Program salutes bar association projects directed at increasing the participation and advancement of lawyers of color as well as other underrepresented constituents: attorneys with disabilities, women attorneys and those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. This annual awards program is open to all bar associations that can demonstrate how their efforts nurture diversity in the legal community. achievement of goals as measured by successful completion of/program toward original purpose;

All program submissions will be reviewed by a panel of judges from the sponsoring organizations – ABA Standing Committee on Bar Activities and services, Hispanic National Bar Association, National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, National Native American Bar Association and the National Bar Association. Bar associations with winning entries will be notified in May.

Historically, the award judges have focused on programs with measurable results that are replicable by other bar associations. The deadline for submissions is April 30 and should include documentation that illustrates the project’s success, e.g. how the project will have a long-term effect on diversity in the profession. We encourage your participation in this program and appreciate your commitment to diversity in the legal community.

Alice A. Bruno, Chair
ABA Standing Committee on Bar Activities and Services

The evaluation criteria covers six areas:

• Fulfills Partnership Awards Program goal of increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the legal profession;
• Shows evidence of partnerships formed with other organizations to attain program objective;
• Replicability of program;
• Achievement of goals as measured by successful completion of/progress toward original purpose;
• Overall quality of program, i.e. how well it was developed, planned, implemented, supported and evaluated; and
• Novelty or creativity of program, i.e. did program introduce a new idea or approach for promoting diversity