Law & Humanities Blog

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• American Bar Association Announces 2011 Gavel Award Winners
• Dirty Sexy Politics
• Call For Papers: Windsor Review of Legal and Social Issues
• Conference Announcement and Call For Papers: Loyola (Chicago) Law School Second Annual Constitutional Law Colloquium

American Bar Association Announces 2011 Gavel Award Winners Posted: 18 May 2011 09:37 AM PDT From an ABA press release: The American Bar Association announced today its selections for the 54th presentation of the Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts, which recognize outstanding work that fosters the American public's understanding of law and the legal system. This is the ABA's highest honor in recognition of this purpose. The ABA will present six Silver Gavels and two honorable mentions from the nearly 200 entries received in all eligible categories, which include: books, magazines, newspapers, commentary, drama and literature, documentaries, television, radio and websites. Selection criteria includes: how the entry addresses the Gavel Awards' purpose and objectives; educational value of legal information or issues treated; 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 production of entry. The awards presentation will be July 19 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Dan Abrams, legal analyst for ABC News, will be the featured speaker. The following is a complete list of winners with a short description of their work: MAGAZINES Silver Gavel Profiting from Fallen Soldiers Bloomberg Markets New York David Evans, Senior Writer "Fallen Soldiers' Families Denied Cash as Insurers Profit" http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-28/fallen-soldiers-families-denied-cash-payout-as-life-insurers-boost-profit.html "Veterans Agency Made Secret Deal Over Benefits" http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-14/veterans-agency-arranged-secret-deal-with-prudential-over-soldier-benefits.html "Taxpayer-Funded Profits" http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-30/taxpayer-funded-profits.html Exposes how life insurance companies have profited from death benefits owed to families of service members and other government employees, examining causes and consequences. NEWSPAPERS Silver Gavel Hounded: Debtors and the New Breed of Collectors Star Tribune Minneapolis Chris Serres, Business Reporter Glenn Howatt, CAR Reporter www.startribune.com/hounded A six-part series that explores recent changes in the debt collection industry, reveals how people with unpaid bills are being jailed, and examines consumer protection and regulation. Honorable Mention Detention Dilemma ProPublica New York, New York Dafna Linzer, Senior Reporter Chisun Lee, Reporter Krista Kjellman Schmidt, Deputy Editor of News Applications www.propublica.org/detention A series of 14 articles about detention policies at Guantanamo under the Obama administration, which also considers the role of the federal courts and Congress. RADIO Silver Gavel Bonding for Profit National Public Radio Washington, D.C. Laura Sullivan, Correspondent Steven Drummond, Editor http://www.npr.org/series/122954677/behind-the-bail-bond-system A three-part investigation into the bail bond process in the U.S. criminal justice system. TELEVISION Silver Gavel The Lord is Not on Trial Here Today Jay Rosenstein Productions Champaign, Illinois Jay Rosenstein, Producer, Writer, Director, Photographer Jude Leak, Editor Wendy Blackstone, Composer David Ogden Stiers, Narrator http://www.jayrosenstein.com/pages/lord.html A one-hour PBS film that tells the compelling personal story that led to a landmark 1948 U.S. Supreme Court decision on the separation of church and state in public schools, McCollum v. Board of Education. DOCUMENTARIES Silver Gavel A Call to Act: Ledbetter v. Goodyear The Documentary Group New York Robe Imbriano, Producer, Writer, Director http://www.thedocumentarygroup.com/featuredProject.php?pid=73 A 22-minute documentary that tells the contemporary story of Lilly Ledbetter, who took her fight for fair pay through the U.S. court system and the halls of Congress. BOOKS Silver Gavel Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR's Great Supreme Court Justices Twelve/Hachette Book Group New York Noah Feldman, Author http://www.twelvebooks.com/books/scorpions.asp Author Noah Feldman offers a group biography of Franklin Roosevelt's four greatest Supreme Court Justices: Hugo Black, William O. Douglas, Felix Frankfurter and Robert Jackson. Honorable Mention The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr Pittsburgh Crown Publishers Ken Gormley, Author http://www.amazon.com/Death-American-Virtue-Clinton-Starr/dp/0307409449 Presents a historical narrative and analysis of the events leading up to the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton. With nearly 400,000 members, the American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership organization in the world.