The Section invites nominations for the Potter Award through July 31, 2025. Please submit any nominations electronically using this form.
View the Official Rules for details about the submission requirements, entry procedure, and selection process.
On May 5, 2013, the Section lost one of its finest contributors and leaders, Samuel H. Porter (“Sam” to most of us). Sam served as Section Chair in 1999, was our Section Delegate to the House from 2002 to 2013, and was recently nominated, shortly before his passing, to be our Section At-Large Member of the ABA Board of Governors, a three-year term that was to commence in August of this year. In recent years, Sam served as Chair of our Long Range Planning Committee and ably gave guidance as the head of that important committee to assist in charting the Section’s course in future years. The Section leadership felt that it was wholly appropriate to create an award in his name, The Samuel H. Porter Service Award.
The criterion for selection will be a person who has made a difference by volunteering time and dedicated service to the Section. The recipient will be an individual who has gone “above and beyond” in providing leadership to the Section and to the development of the law and leaders for our infrastructure industries. The recipient would also be recognized for his or her professional stature in the Bar and an unquestioned commitment to the law as a profession and mentoring young lawyers to flourish and succeed in their chosen profession.
It is the intent to make this award on an annual basis, though we need not be compelled to do so in any year.
One can self-nominate or nominate one or more individuals to be considered. Nominations will be considered by a Nominating Committee consisting of the immediate past Chair, present Chair and Chair-Elect of the Section.
2017 Recipient
David R. Poe
2015 Recipient
The Honorable Richard D. Cudahy
2014 Recipients
George A. Avery
Ernest J. Ierardi
1. Description: The Samuel H. Porter Service Award recognizes and honors a person who has made a difference by volunteering time and dedicated service to the Section. The recipient will be an individual who has gone “above and beyond” in providing leadership to the Section and to the development of the law and leaders for our infrastructure industries. The recipient would also be recognized for his or her professional stature in the Bar and an unquestioned commitment to the law as a profession and mentoring young lawyers to flourish and succeed in their chosen profession.
2. Eligibility:
3. How To Enter: The deadline for nominations is Thursday, July 31, 2025, by 11:59pm (central). Electronic nomination forms are available here. The Section strongly encourages that nominations be submitted via the electronic form. If you would prefer to submit a PDF nomination form, please send an email to Dana Jonusaitis at [email protected], with the subject line “Samuel H. Porter Service Award” and request a PDF nomination form, which can be submitted by email to [email protected]. Nomination forms are not accepted via mail.
The Section is not responsible for errors or for lost, late, or misdirected email, mail, postage or telecommunication or hardware or software failures, including by reason of any bug or computer virus or other failure.
4. Nomination Requirements: The following information will be required on each nomination form: nominee and nominator names, current mailing addresses, current organization/firm affiliations, telephone numbers, and email addresses. Additionally, a brief description explaining why the nominee is qualified for the Award is required. After submitting a nomination form, the nominator may be contacted and asked to provide additional information.
5. Selection and Notification of Winners: The entries will be judged and the winner selected by the Section’s award committee comprised of the immediate past chair, current chair, and chair-elect (“Committee”). The committee will select the Award recipient(s) And notify the winner(s) no later than September 1, 2025. The Section reserves the right not to bestow the Award if it is determined that no nomination is of sufficient quality to merit selection.
6. Prizes: The Award item is a glass/crystal piece and it will be presented to the recipient during the Section’s 2025 Fall Meeting.
7. License/Grant of Rights: By accepting the prize, the winning entrant consents to the non-exclusive worldwide right to use the winner’s name and likeness in connection with the Award without further compensation.
8. Announcement of Winners: An official announcement of the winner’s name(s) will be posted on the Section website by October 31, 2025.
9. Opt-Out Option: Any individual may elect to opt out of receiving future Award mailings by calling the ABA Service Center at 800-285-2221.
10. Laws and Regulations: This contest is governed by U.S. law and all relevant federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. By entering, all participants agree that the competition shall be governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, that the courts of Illinois shall have exclusive jurisdiction, and that Cook County, Illinois shall be the venue for any dispute or litigation relating to or arising from the competition. Void where prohibited by law. Chances of winning will vary depending on the number and quality of entries.
11. Privacy Policy/Data Collection: Information provided by entrants in connection with this Award is subject to ABA’s privacy policy.
12. Sponsor: American Bar Association, Infrastructure and Regulated Industries Section, 321 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60654.