The Florida Bar Foundation

Foundation Seeks Medal of Honor Nominees
December 1, 2009

ORLANDO -- January 29, 2010 is the deadline for submission of nominees for The Florida Bar Foundation's 2009 Medal of Honor awards.

The Foundation has two categories for the Medal of Honor award.
A nominee for the first category must be a member of The Florida Bar who has demonstrated dedication to the objectives of The Bar: "...to inculcate in its members the principles of duty and service to the public, to improve the administration of justice, and to advance the science of jurisprudence."

Nominees in this first category also must be Florida residents who are actively engaged in a profession relative to the practice of law including, but not limited to, practicing lawyers, judges or teachers in the legal field.
Recent award recipients in this category include Fort Lauderdale attorney and former Florida Bar President Terrence Russell, Jacksonville attorney
A. Hamilton Cooke, and Tallahassee attorney W. Dexter Douglass.

Last year's award was presented to Sylvia Hardaway Walbolt of Tampa for her renowned dedication and passionate belief in protecting the rights of those who are unable to afford counsel through direct pro bono service, as well as through her encouragement of other attorneys to provide such services.

Nominees are also being solicited in a second Medal of Honor award category. This category recognizes the achievement of non-lawyers, or lawyers not actively engaged in the practice of law. Nominees must have made an outstanding contribution to the improvement of the administration of justice in Florida through research, writing, or other deeds of such character and quality that, in the judgment of the Foundation, warrant the highest award that can be bestowed by the Foundation.

Nominees in the second category also must be Florida residents and may be members of The Florida Bar. Recent recipients in this category are: Janet R. McAliley, for tirelessly championing the rights of children to better educational opportunities and academic freedoms and her extensive work to protect the rights of immigrants, Dr. Walter F. Lambert for being a legend to the Pediatricians in Florida, a legend to social workers and attorney who work with families, a legend in the courts, and superman to many little children and Elizabeth Lander “Budd” Bell for over four decades of volunteer advocacy to improve the lives of Florida's children, elderly, and disabled persons.

The Medal of Honor awards will be presented at the annual dinner of the Foundation during The Florida Bar annual meeting on June 24, 2010 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club in Boca Raton.

More information
Nomination form -- Lawyer
Nomination form -- Non-Lawyer