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.
Andrew C. Hecker (1943-1994) founded Hecker Brown Sherry and Johnson, where he served as senior partner. He chaired the American Bar Association's Tort and Insurance Practice Section (1988-89) and, the year before he died, was largely responsible for raising the necessary funds to satisfy The Philadelphia Boys Choir's mortgage.
Criteria
There will be one recipient of the award in any given year, but the TIPS Council and the Administrative Committee may choose, after deliberation, not to make an Award in a particular year. Any current or former member of TIPS will qualify as an Award recipient, except the members of the Section’s Administrative Committee. The TIPS Council will select the Award recipient from the nomination(s) submitted by the Administrative Committee. The Administrative Committee will determine the procedures to be used to solicit nominations. The recipient must attend the meeting at which the award is presented, which will most likely be either during the ABA Annual Meeting or during the Section’s Fall Meeting.