ABA YLD National Outstanding Young Lawyer Award
The American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division presents the National Outstanding Young Lawyer Award annually to recognize an ABA young lawyer in good standing who exhibits:

• Professional excellence,
• Service to the profession and the bar,
• Service to the community, and/or
• A reputation for or the advancement of legal ethics and professional responsibility.

The deadline for nomination is August 28 each year . For full details about the award and what organizations may nominate an individual for it, see the ABA YLD National Outstanding Young Lawyer Award page.

2008 Recipients and Nominees
2007 Recipients and Nominees

Awards of Achievement
The annual Awards of Achievement Program provides ABA YLD affiliated state and local bar young lawyer organizations with the opportunity to submit their best projects for evaluation by a jury of their peers. This program is designed to encourage project development by recognizing the time, effort and skills expended by young lawyer organizations in implementing public service and bar service projects in their communities. Additional recognition is given to minority attorney involvement projects and affiliate newsletter programs.

The process begins mid-March with a mailing of the Awards of Achievement application form to all affiliate chairs, chairs-elect and bar staff members. Completed applications are accepted through early June and evaluation by a panel of Young Lawyers Division judges takes place at the ABA's Annual Meeting. Awards are given to the most outstanding of the submitted projects.

This program provides an excellent means of identifying and recognizing the outstanding and innovative programming being implemented by YLD affiliates throughout the country. For further information see the Awards of Achievements page.

ABA YLD Child Advocacy Award
The ABA Young Lawyers Division and the Center on Children in the Law established the Annual Child Advocacy Award to honor lawyers for distinguished service on behalf of children. The award recognizes the contributions to the legal profession by child advocates who have actively labored on behalf of children. The award also celebrates the often unheralded services that child advocates bring to the legal profession and to children.

The deadline for the program is April 30 each year.

For further information regarding the Child Advocacy Award, see the Child Advocacy Award page.

Each year the ABA YLD awards a number of scholarships to encourage the participation of minority, solo/small firm, government, private sector, and military service attorneys in the Young Lawyers Division.

A priority is given to those applicants who express a desire to become actively involved with the ABA YLD and require financial assistance.

Applications for Scholarships are due June 15 each year.

ABA YLD National Conference Reimbursements:
The YLD presents two conferences each year, one in the fall and one in the spring. Three representatives (four if one is a minority) from each YLD affiliate are eligible for up to two days per diem at $100 per day for their attendance at each of these conferences. For a reimbursement form click here.

Special Reimbursement:
A limited number of special reimbursements are available to conference attendees representing new affiliates or affiliates that have not sent representatives to a national conference for three or more years. These reimbursements include lowest discounted round-trip airfares, up to $20 ground transportation and up to two days per diem at $100 per day. Affiliates may request consideration for these reimbursements through their District Representatives prior to the fall and spring national conferences.

To promote public and member service projects, the YLD awards subgrants to its young lawyer affiliates to assist them in undertaking projects in these areas. The American Bar Association Fund for Justice and Education provides funding for these subgrants.

There are 2 types of subgrants. One is for Public Service projects and the other is for Member Service Projects. Check the Subgrant page for more information.