Nominations and Guidelines

Nominations

The 2025 nominations are now closed, check back for 2026 nominations.

Guidelines

The Nonprofit Organizations Committee of the Business Law Section awards the Outstanding Nonprofit Lawyer Awards annually to attorneys who have made outstanding contributions to the nonprofit sector and/or the development of nonprofit law in the categories listed below. The Committee is particularly interested in nominees whose accomplishments are primarily in providing legal services and counseling to nonprofit entities as clients, rather than in representation of needy individuals.

Criteria

• Made significant contributions to one or more nonprofit organizations while acting in a legal role (i.e., not solely as an officer or director);
• Increased the understanding of legal issues affecting nonprofit organizations (including through articles, books, speeches, academic courses, and committees/task forces considering laws applicable to nonprofit organizations);
• Demonstrated commitment to serving the legal needs of the nonprofit sector; or
• Developed innovative approaches to nonprofit legal or organizational issues.

Award Categories

• Academic;
• Attorney (i.e., outside counsel to nonprofit organizations);
• Nonprofit In-House Counsel;
• Young Attorney (i.e., under 35 or in practice less than 10 years); and
• Vanguard Award (lifetime commitment/achievement).