IndyBar Association & Foundation Awards

Each year the Indianapolis Bar Association and Indianapolis Bar Foundation recognize the extraordinary volunteer efforts of IndyBar members through the presentation of awards. The awards to be given are numerous, as there are exceptional efforts happening every day within our legal community. Nominations are sought for most awards and presented in the 3rd and 4th quarter of each calendar year. 

Association Awards

Luminary Award (formerly known as the Buchanan Award of Excellence):
This award is given only when a worthy recipient is identified. The recipient will have demonstrated unique and outstanding service to the Indianapolis Bar Association over a significant period of time. The candidate will be a respected member of the legal community. The recipient is selected by a specially comprised committee. Nominations for this award are specially curated.

Commitment to Mentorship Award
Introduced in 2023, the Commitment to Mentorship Award recognizes an individual who has achieved excellence in their own career, demonstrates a commitment to the advancement of young lawyers and/or law students, serves as a mentor to lawyers and or law students, creates opportunities for them to excel personally and professionally, and who encourages meaningful involvement in the community. Nominees must be a member of IndyBar and have practiced law for at least 10 years. Nominations open each fall. The recipient will be chosen by a selection committee appointed by the IndyBar President with the award presented in November.

Dr. John Morton Finney, Jr. Award for Excellence in Legal Education
Established in 1998, this award honors the memory of Dr. Finney who, during his lifetime demonstrated the value of education and a love of the law. The successful candidate for this award will have made significant and unique contributions to further legal education within our community. Those active in legal education projects, public education or working within Indiana’s law schools shall be considered. The recipient will be chosen by a selection committee appointed by the IndyBar President. Nominations open each fall. The recipient is selected by a committee assembled by the IndyBar President. Open nominations are taken for this award which is presented in November each year.

Paralegal of the Year Award
The Paralegal Committee of the Indianapolis Bar Association selects each year a “Paralegal of the Year." Members of  IndyBar are encouraged to nominate an outstanding paralegal to be recognized for his or her contribution to the paralegal profession. The paralegal must be a member of IndyBar, have made an exceptional contribution, be recognized as a good role model for the paralegal profession and deserving of special recognition. The recipient is selected by a committee assembled by the Executive Director. Open nominations are taken for this award which is presented at the Paralegal Appreciation Luncheon each spring. Nominations will open prior to that event.

President’s Award-Service to the IndyBar
The recipient of the President’s Award need not be a lawyer. Any person or group demonstrating outstanding and unique service to IndyBar and/or legal profession in general causing positive benefit for the legal profession is eligible for selection. The recipient(s) of this award is selected solely by the IndyBar President. Nominations open each fall. The award is presented in November each year.

President’s Award-Service to the Profession
The recipient of the President’s Award need not be a lawyer.  Any person or group demonstrating outstanding and unique service to IndyBar and/or legal profession in general in causing positive benefit for the legal profession is eligible for selection. The recipient(s) of this award is selected solely by the IndyBar President. Nominations open each fall. The award is presented in November each year.

Pro Bono Awards
Recipients are selected by the Pro Bono Standing Committee. Up for consideration are actively practicing lawyers, retired lawyers, in-house and corporate counsel, law firms, law students and paralegals who have made outstanding contributions toward delivering volunteer legal services to the poor and disadvantaged. While the following is not meant to be an exhaustive list of the criteria, here are some of the factors that will be considered in the selection process:

• Demonstrated dedication to the delivery of legal services to the poor;
• Contributed significant work toward developing innovative approaches to the delivery of volunteer legal services;
• Participated in an activity which resulted in satisfying previously unmet needs or in extending services to underserved segments of the population;
•  Successfully litigated a pro bono case that favorably affected the provision of services to the poor;
• Successfully achieved legislation that contributed substantially to legal services to the poor.  

Typically, the awards are presented to winners in the following categories: 

Practicing Attorney
This attorney participates in advice as well as representation pro bono programs, not necessarily all sponsored by IndyBar.

Law Student
This student is involved with pro bono activities, through IBA, their law school, and potentially work experience with legal providers for the poor, etc.

Law Firm 
This firm’s management shows wholehearted support of pro bono service by the efforts of its partners and associates. The firm accepts pro bono cases from many avenues, shows support by naming a pro bono coordinator, participates as a firm in advice programs, in addition to individual’s participation in case representation pro bono. Open nominations are taken for this award which is typically presented in the spring. 

Professionalism Award 
This annual award is to recognize exceptional, meritorious achievement by an attorney widely accepted by his or her peers as having consistently modeled the spirit of the Rules of Professional Conduct. The winner will also be viewed by other attorneys as epitomizing the ideals of the legal profession. The recipient is selected by the Standing Committee on Professionalism of the Indianapolis Bar Association. Open nominations are taken for this award, typically presented in November each year. Nominations open each fall.

Silver Gavel Award 
This annual award is to recognize exceptional, meritorious achievement by a judicial officer widely accepted by his or her peers as having consistently modeled the spirit of the Rules of Professional Conduct. The winner will also be viewed by the legal community as epitomizing the ideals of the Bench. The recipient is selected by the Standing Committee on Professionalism of the Indianapolis Bar Association. Open nominations are taken for this award, typically presented in November each year. Nominations open each fall.

Section/Division Awards

Antoinette Dakin Leach Award
In 1990, the Women and the Law Division of the Indianapolis Bar Association established an award to honor outstanding women in the legal profession. Named after one of the first female lawyers in Indiana, the Antoinette Dakin Leach Award is presented only when the Division deems a worthy candidate exists. Nominations should include overviews of the candidate's professional accomplishments, leadership characteristics, community involvement, and other personal and professional attributes. 

Antoinette Dakin Leach (1859-1922) gained admittance to the Indiana Bar only after the Indiana Supreme Court overruled a lower court holding which stated that a woman was "not a citizen in the sense that she could hold office and practice law." In an opinion rendered on July 14, 1893, Justice Leonard Hackney held that women could not be denied admission to the bar based on gender alone. In addition to her successful career as an attorney, Ms. Leach is remembered for her work as a state and national leader in the suffragist movement. Nominations are accepted each fall. The award is typically presented each year in the fall.

Deborah J. Shook Award for Excellence in Family Law
The purpose of this award is to recognize Family Law section members who have made contributions to the legal profession and the community. Specifically, these pillars of the family law legal community have demonstrated a commitment to furthering knowledge of issues affecting families as they relate to laws and policies within the bar and among colleagues as well as have shown a commitment to furthering the interests of families and the Indianapolis community at large. Nominations should honor judges/judicial officers, attorneys, both practicing and retired, other professionals, law firms, law students, paralegals and/or organizations that have shown a passion and dedication to promoting family law issues through advocacy and education. Originally introduced as the Family Law Section Award in 2015, it was renamed in 2021 in special recognition of previous recipient Magistrate Deborah J. Shook. Open nominations are taken for this award, typically presented each year in the fall.

Criminal Justice Section Lifetime Achievement Award
IndyBar Criminal Justice Section periodically presents this award to a seasoned public servant withing Indy's criminal justice community. The award honors an individual who has worked tirelessly to make the criminal justice system a better place for everyone. It recognizes an exemplary career with a demonstrated dedication to ensuring fairness for all. IndyBar proudly recognizes a lifetime of admirable work.  

Gil I. Berry Award
Each year, IndyBar Criminal Justice Section selects an outstanding member of the legal community as the recipient of the Gil I. Berry Award. The Gil I. Berry Award recognizes an exceptional non-lawyer in our criminal justice community. Potential recipients are nominated by members of the Criminal Justice Section’s Executive Committee, which is comprised of prosecutors, public defenders, private attorneys and judicial officers. The focus of the award is to shine a light on the individuals who work, often behind the scenes, to make our community and profession a better place. Prior recipients include deputies, bailiffs, court staff and IT professionals. Working in the criminal courts is challenging, intense and too-often a thankless job. The section's goal is to spotlight an individual who merits special recognition. Open nominations are taken for this award, typically presented each year in the fall.

The Hon. V. Sue Shields Young Female Attorney Award
This award, presented annually by IndyBar’s Women and the Law Division, honors a rising female attorney under 40 or with 3–10 years of practice who demonstrates exceptional legal skill, leadership, and a commitment to advancing women in the legal profession. Named after Judge V. Sue Shields—the first woman elected to a general jurisdiction trial court in Indiana and the first female U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Southern District of Indiana—the award celebrates young attorneys who embody her trailblazing spirit through professional excellence, community service, mentorship, advocacy for diversity and inclusion, and contributions to legal innovation. Nominations are open each fall. The award is typically presented each year in the summer.

The Michael C. Daniells E-Discovery Professional of the Year Award
With this award, the E-Discovery, Information Governance and Cybersecurity recognizes professionals who have positively contributed or stands out in the local e-discovery, information governance and/or cybersecurity sector. Open nominations are taken for this award, typically presented each year in the fall.

Patricia Paxton Wagner Excellence in Estate Planning & Administration Award
The Estate Planning & Administration Section will annually consider the presentation of the Patricia Paxton Wagner Excellence in Estate Planning & Administration Award. The Award will be presented for a recipient’s “extraordinary efforts and positive achievements” in one or more of the following areas:

• Administering Indiana’s real estate, probate, trust, inheritance tax, and estate planning and administration laws in a fair and efficient manner;
• Achieving and maintaining high standards of prompt service to clients, fellow professionals, and government officials in the areas of real estate, probate, trust, inheritance tax, and estate planning and administration;
• Improving public knowledge and awareness of Indiana’s substantive and procedural law in the areas of real estate, probate, trust, inheritance tax, and estate planning and administration laws, and enhancing public access to clear, cogent information about Indiana’s real estate, probate, trust, inheritance tax, and estate planning and administration laws; and
• Working constructively for needed reform of Indiana’s real estate, probate, trust, inheritance tax, and estate planning and administration laws.

Open nominations are taken for this award, typically presented each year in the fall.

Women & the Law Division Mentor Award
IndyBar's Women and the Law Division seeks to honor a female legal professional who has demonstrated consistent and exceptional mentorship for at least five years, along with strong leadership within the legal community. Nominees should have a proven impact on those they’ve mentored—supported by examples or stories—and have held meaningful leadership roles such as board positions or public office. Consideration is also given to diversity in background, experience, and perspective. Nominations open each fall. The award is typically presented each year in February.

Women & the Law Division Summer Reception Speaker Award
IndyBar's Women and the Law Division hosts an annual Summer Reception featuring a keynote speaker from a distinguished female legal professional who exemplifies leadership, innovation, and a commitment to advancing women in law. Honorees are recognized for breaking barriers, promoting diversity and inclusion, mentoring others, and making a positive impact in both the legal field and the broader community. We value diverse backgrounds and encourage, though do not require, IndyBar involvement. Nominations open each fall.

Young Lawyer of the Year Award
The Young Lawyer Division of the Indianapolis Bar Association selects each year a “Young Lawyer of the Year." The attorney must be 36 or younger OR have been in practice eight years or less, be a member of IndyBar, have made exceptional contributions to support Young Lawyer Division sponsored activities or programs, be recognized as a good role model for the legal profession and deserving of special recognition. The recipient is selected by the executive committee of the Young Lawyers Division. The recipient is chosen via a specially curated process by the executive committee of the Young Lawyers Division.

Zeff Weiss Excellence in Real Estate Award
In 2016, the Real Estate and Land Use Section of IndyBar awarded the first Zeff Weiss Excellence in Real Estate Award posthumously to the named honoree, Zeff Weiss, for his career of extraordinary and positive achievements to the Indianapolis real estate and development community. The Real Estate and Land Use Section desires to annually consider the presentation of this award to a practicing or recently retired attorney or land use planner in the Indianapolis community who has made significant impacts in the legal and development community. Nominations for the award are open. The award is typically presented each year in the fall to a recipient selected by the executive committee of the Real Estate and Land Use Section.