ABA names 24 finalists for annual Silver Gavel Awards

The finalists for the American Bar Association’s 2025 Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts delved into some serious topics, including rape, the criminal justice system, prison pipeline, presidential immunity, abortion, American justice, artificial intelligence, the Supreme Court and the First and Eighth Amendments among other topics that explore its relevance to the law.

The awards acknowledge outstanding work that fosters the American public’s understanding of law and the legal system. 

“We are excited to announce the 2025 finalists and extend our congratulations to the authors and creators of these exceptional works,” said Ruth Bahe-Jachna, chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Gavel Awards. “The submissions this year were outstanding, and we want to thank all of the volunteers of the Gavel Awards Screening Committee who had the formidable task of reviewing all of the submissions and making difficult decisions.” 

The ABA Gavel Awards Screening Committee of 53 professionals with wide ranges of legal and media expertise, including lawyer-members of the ABA, selected the 24 finalists from 122 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. 

The winners will be announced on May 14. 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 16-member ABA Standing Committee on Gavel Awards makes the final award decisions. ABA President William Bay will present Silver Gavels and Honorable Mentions on Aug. 9 at 3 p.m. at the ABA Annual Meeting at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. 

The following is a complete list of finalists with links to their work: 

Books

“Bringing Ben Home: A Murder, a Conviction, and the Fight to Redeem American Justice” 
Penguin Random House, Riverhead Books 
Barbara Bradley Hagerty, author 
 
“By the Fire We Carry” 
HarperCollins Publishers 
Rebecca Nagle, author 
 
“Dear Sister: A Memoir of Secrets, Survival, and Unbreakable Bonds” 
Grand Central Publishing 
Michelle Horton, author 
 
“The Fall of Roe” 
Flatiron Books 
Elizabeth Dias and Lisa Lerer, authors 
 
“The Most Powerful Court in the World” 
Oxford University Press 
Stuart Banner, author 
 
“The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It” 
W.W. Norton and Company 
Corey Brettschneider, author

Commentary

“Ending Pay to Stay” 
St. Louis Post-Dispatch 
Tony Messenger, metro columnist 
Alan Achkar, executive editor 
 
“Strict Scrutiny: SCOTUS Hands Trump Presidential Immunity” 
Crooked Media 
Leah Litman, Melissa Murray, Kate Shaw, co-hosts 
Melody Rowell, producer 
Michael Goldsmith, associate producer 
Madeleine Haeringer, executive vice president of news and programming 
Matt DeGroot, vice president of production 

Documentaries

“Nature of the Crime” 
Break Thru Films, HBO Documentary Films 
Ricki Stern and Jesse Sweet, writers/producers/directors 
Seth Keal, senior producer 
Joe Caterini and Logan Snyder, executive producers 
David Mehlman, editor 
Jerry Risius, Michelle McCabe, Jonathan Nastasi and Seth Keal, directors of photography 
Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller and Tina Nguyen, executive producers, HBO Documentary Films 
 
“The First Amendment: New York Times v Sullivan” 
Leonore Annenberg Institute for Civics — Annenberg Public Policy Center, The Documentary Group 
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, director, Annenberg Public Policy Center 
Tom Yellen, president, executive producer, The Documentary Group 
Robe Imbriano, co-director/writer, narrator, The Documentary Group 
Gregory Blanc, co-director/co-producer, The Documentary Group 
Marc Tidalgo, co-producer/editor, The Documentary Group 
Thomas Curtis, animator, The Documentary Group 
 
“The Sing Sing Chronicles” 
NBC News Studios, MSNBC Films, Trilogy Films 
Kimberly Ferdinando, showrunner/executive producer, NBC News Studio 
Liz Cole, executive producer, NBC News Studio 
Dan Slepian, reporter, NBC News Studio 
Rashida Jones, Rebecca Kutler, Amanda Spain, executive producers, MSNBC Films 
Dawn Porter, director/executive producer, Trilogy Films 
Laren Capps, Sadie Bass, producers 
Rosie Walunas, editor 
Bryant Fisher, Sean Gallagher, cinematographers 
Nathan Halpern, music 
 
“Zurawski v Texas” 
Out of Nowhere 
Maisie Crow, director/producer/director of photography 
Abbie Perrault, director/producer 
Amy Flanagan, Siobhan Sinnerton, Blye Pagon Faust, Cori Shepherd, producers 
Austin Reedy, editor 
Osei Essed, original music