Twenty-nine creative works about subjects including elections, misinformation, espionage, the Supreme Court, sentencing, greed, murder, democracy, juvenile sentencing, guardianship and LGBTQ+ are among the finalists for the American Bar Association’s 2024 Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts. The awards acknowledge outstanding work that fosters the American public’s understanding of law and the legal system and are the ABA’s highest honor in recognition of this purpose.
March 25, 2024 Public Education
ABA names 29 finalists for the annual Silver Gavel Awards
“We received outstanding submissions this year and are grateful to the Gavel Awards Screening Committee for their dedicated review and difficult decisions they had to make,” said Lisa Bail, chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Gavel Awards. “We are pleased to announce our finalists and extend our congratulations to the exceptional individuals and groups who produced this work.”
The winners will be announced on May 22. No more than one Silver Gavel is presented in each category. Honorable Mentions are also recognized, but awards are not presented in every category every year.
The ABA has presented these awards each year since 1958. The 18-member ABA Standing Committee on Gavel Awards makes the final award decisions. ABA President Mary Smith will present Silver Gavels and Honorable Mentions on Aug. 3 at 3 p.m. CDT at the ABA Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
The ABA Gavel Awards Screening Committee is made up of 50 professionals with a wide range of legal and media expertise, including lawyer-members of the ABA. The committee selected the 29 finalists from 176 entries received in all eligible categories, which include books, commentaries, documentaries, drama and literature, magazines, multimedia, newspapers, radio and television.
Selection criteria include how the entry addresses the Silver Gavel Awards’ purpose and objectives; educational value of legal information; impact on, or outreach to, the public; thoroughness and accuracy in presentation of issues; creativity and originality in approach to subject matter and effectiveness of presentation; and demonstrated technical skill in the entry’s production.
Related links:
- Silver Gavel Awards finalists and links to their work
- ABA Journal 2023 coverage of Silver Gavel Awards
- ABA Journal: Scorsese film is among 29 finalists for 2024 Silver Gavel Awards (abajournal.com)