Andrew C. Hecker Memorial Award

TIPS created the Andrew C. Hecker Memorial Award in 1996 to pay tribute to the one lawyer out of its thousands of members across the U.S., whose outstanding lifetime achievements in the law and the community emulate Hecker's remarkable career. The Award is made on the basis of an eligible person having consistently demonstrated, and continuing to demonstrate, the qualities of leadership, outreach, enthusiasm, professionalism and pride in TIPS and its accomplishments. Other characteristics of a potential Award recipient include dedication, persistence and the ability to motivate both groups and individuals to achieve goals in a volunteer organization.

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Edmund S. Muskie Pro Bono Service Award

The Edmund S. Muskie Pro Bono Service Award recognizes TIPS members who have the attributes embodied by Senator Muskie: his dedication to justice for all citizens, his public service, and his role as a lawyer and distinguished leader of TIPS. In addition to individuals, formal or informal groups, such as corporate legal departments or persons working cooperatively on a pro bono project, may be nominated, so long as a significant number of members of the group belong to TIPS. (Only TIPS Officers, Immediate Past Section Chair and immediate past and present Public Service Committee members are are ineligible.)

Letters of nomination should describe how the individual or group has provided outstanding pro bono service as defined in Rule 6.1(a) of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct (see below), which places particular emphasis on service to low income people. Useful supporting materials include the nominee's resume, additional references, letters of support and documentation such as news articles.

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Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award

The American Bar Association’s Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section’s Animal Law Committee’s annual “Excellence in the Advancement of Animal Law Award” recognizes exceptional work by an Animal Law Committee member who, through commitment and leadership, has advanced the humane treatment of animals through the law. Although the Awards Subcommittee members will consider all facts presented about the nominee, they are especially interested in the nominee’s activities during the prior three years. Nominees and nominators must be members of the Animal Law Committee. Travel expenses for the winning nominee to the award reception are not included. The annual nomination deadline is March 1st. 

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Kirsten Christophe Memorial Award for Excellence in Trial and Insurance Law

The Kirsten Christophe Memorial Award for Excellence in Trial and Insurance Law was approved by the ABA Board of Governors in November 2004. The award is named in honor of Kirsten Christophe, a former TIPS Council member who perished September 11, 2001 in the World Trade Center attack. Kirsten Christophe is being honored because she personified the exemplary attributes of balancing career, profession, and family in life and practice. Members of the Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section qualify as recipients of this award.

The award will be given in recognition of a Section member or members who demonstrate expertise in an area of Trial Practice or Insurance Law, and who personify the exemplary attributes of Kirsten.

The Section's Administrative Committee will identify the nominee or nominees to the Section Council by the Midyear Meeting. The Council will select the recipient or recipients by majority vote. Current Council and Administrative Committee members are ineligible for the Award during their term of service. The award will be presented annually at the TIPS Spring Meeting with an appropriate recognition and ceremony.

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TIPS Liberty Achievement Award

The Liberty Achievement Award was created to honor those attorneys and judges who take a leadership role in promoting diversity in the profession of law by demonstrating, through choices made in their careers and work done in private and/or public sector positions, that they have actively promoted diversity. This would include their own career, leadership positions and work done to advance diverse attorneys in the profession. Other considerations would include significant substantive legal work in areas of diversity, as well as community service and/or pro bono work in diversity.

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TIPS Pursuit of Justice Award

The TIPS Plaintiffs Policy Task Force selects Pursuit of Justice Award recipients with approval of TIPS Council, to recognize the finest local lawyers and judges in the areas where TIPS meetings are held. This award recognizes lawyers and judges who have shown outstanding merit and who excel in providing justice for all. A special reception is hosted during TIPS meetings for the presentation of these awards.

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Robert B. McKay Law Professor Award

The Robert B. McKay Law Professor Award was created to honor those attorneys who have shown commitment to the advancement of justice, scholarship and the legal profession, demonstrated by outstanding contributions to the fields of tort and insurance law.  The award is given out at the ABA Annual Meeting and recipients must be able to attend the meeting in order to accept the award in person.

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James K. Carroll Leadership Award

The James K. Carroll Leadership Award was established in 2010 to honor James K. Carroll, who served as the TIPS Chair during the 2004-05 bar year. Mr. Carroll passed away unexpectedly following the 2009 Annual Meeting. He was active in the Section for a number of years prior to serving as TIPS Chair. He assumed a number of leadership roles in the Section including that of Finance Officer where he was instrumental in changing the Section’s approach to finance resulting in the Section’s financial health. Mr. Carroll was a leader by example who was actively inclusive in all of his Section work. While Section Chair, the Section embarked on its Diversity initiative which continues today.

This award honors the outstanding leadership Mr. Carroll provided to the Section by recognizing an attorney or judge who has demonstrated these same leadership qualities in service to the Section. Nominations are made by the leadership of TIPS including officers, council members and committee leadership, and the final selection is made by a vote of the TIPS Council. It is intended that the award be given each year during the ABA Annual Meeting, at the TIPS Leadership Dinner, which was subsequently named the James K. Carroll Leadership Dinner.

Past Recipients
2012:     Peter J. Neeson
2011:     Leo J. Jordan