Guidelines for Entry
The purpose of the Silver Gavel Awards is to recognize annually eligible entries from communications media that have been exemplary in fostering the American public’s understanding of the law and the legal system.
Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts
Each year the American Bar Association presents these awards to recognize work in media and the arts published or presented during the preceding year that have been exemplary in helping to foster the American public’s understanding of law and the legal system.
Silver Gavel Awards 2025
About the awards
The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Gavel Awards is pleased to announce the 68th annual Silver Gavel Awards competition for 2025. The American Bar Association presents these awards to recognize works in media and the arts published or presented during the preceding year that have been exemplary in fostering the American public’s understanding of law and the legal system. The “public” includes people of all ages, as students, consumers, and citizens of a law-based democratic society.
Click to - Submit EntryImportant Documents for Entry
Watch past programs
Watch 2024 Silver Gavel awards
The 2024 Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts was presented August 3, 2024, 3:00 pm CDT.
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Your gift for the Silver Gavel Awards enhances the ABA’s outreach to advance the American public’s understanding of law and the legal system. The ABA annually recognizes outstanding work in media and the arts that enhances public understanding of law. Generous donors support this project.
Sponsorship Opportunities
There are several sponsorship opportunities at 2024 Silver Gavel Awards Presentation. Enjoy exclusive perks like reserved tables, prime ad space, prominent signage, web recognition, video ad placement, and social media visibility.
Standing Committee on Gavel Awards
Entries are first review by a 50-person screening committee. Screeners include lawyers, judges, journalists, scholars, and other volunteers. Finalist entries are reviewed by the ABA Standing Committee on Gavel Awards for award selection.
Award Categories
Books
Full-length (at least 50,000 words) books of nonfiction with ISBNs. Only “hard copy” entries may be submitted (5 books).
Commentary
Open to commentary, editorials, columns, criticism, editorial cartoons, blogs, and other opinion journalism, regardless of medium of production or dissemination (i.e., print, online, video, and audio entries are all eligible).
Documentaries
Film and video documentaries (non-fiction, unscripted), whether or not they were telecast on television, on the web, or independently screened. Companion websites may be submitted as part of entries.
Drama & Literature
Open to drama and literature, regardless of medium of production or dissemination (i.e., film, television, books and other media are eligible), including docudramas, episodes of dramatic television series, original dramatic films produced for general theatrical release or for television, novels, plays, and short stories may be submitted as part of entries.
Magazines
Any article or series published by a magazine (periodical or journal). Magazines may submit both (or either) print and digital content.
Multimedia
Open to digital and other media entries not subsumed under other award categories. Includes entries representing multiple, hybrid, or convergent media. Must include substantial new content produced during 2020. Online entries must be submitted as ONE URL to be eligible. All digital entries must be publicly accessible through August 31, 2021.
Newspapers
Any news article or series published by a newspaper. This category includes investigative, explanatory and other deadline and non-deadline reporting, as well as features. The newspaper may operate with print or digital formats, or both. Open to dailies and weeklies.
Radio/Podcast
Any audio program telecast by network, satellite, or individual radio stations. Included in this category are investigative, explanatory, and other deadline or non-deadline reporting, talk radio, and features. Also eligible are original audio webcasts or podcasts. Companion websites may be submitted as part of entries.
Television
Any program (including documentaries) telecast by cable, network, or individual television stations during the period of eligibility. Also eligible are original video webcasts. Companion websites may be submitted as part of entries.
1958-2017 Winners
These past winners have been selected for the Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts, which recognize outstanding work that fosters the American public’s understanding of law and the legal system. This is the ABA’s highest honor in recognition of this purpose.