William J. Brennan Award

The William J. Brennan, Jr. Award honors the legacy of U. S. Supreme Court Justice Brennan's extraordinary devotion to the principles of free expression. The award recognizes an individual or group whose commitment to free expression is consistent with Justice Brennan's abiding devotion. Such commitment might be shown by a single act or through a lifetime of activity to enhance the liberties of free speech and press.

The award is given not more than once a year or less than once in five years. The honoree receives $5000.00 at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. and his or her name is placed on a plaque on display in Justice Brennan's chambers in the United States Supreme Court. Nominees from all professions and backgrounds are considered and nominations from the general public are invited.[1]

The honor is presented biannually to a DC Bar member in recognition of "outstanding work toward furthering the public interest and equal justice." Edelman, an expert in poverty, welfare, juvenile justice and constitutional law, received the honor at the Bar's annual awards dinner on June 23.[2]

The Brennan Award, made possible again this year by a generous grant from the Paul D. Schurgot Foundation, is presented to a non-American lawyer or judge who has made a notable contribution toward establishing or defending human rights and the rule of law.[3]

William J. Brennan, Jr., Award. The Award, which is given annually by the Association of the Federal Bar of the State of New Jersey, honors those whose actions have advanced the principles of free expression. Judge Becker spent many years as a member of the ALI-ABA Committee and is a member of the Institute’s Special Committee on Federal Judicial Code Revision.[4]

Recipients:

• 1977 – Hon. Joseph Weintraub

Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court

• 1978 – Hon. Worral F. Mountain

Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court

• 1979 – Hon. Richard J. Hughes

Governor of New Jersey and Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court

• 1979 – Clifford P. Case

United States Senator

• 1980 – Hon. William H. Webster

Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Former Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

• 1981 – Hon. Albert B. Maris

Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

• 1982 – Hon. Nicolas deB. Katzenbach

Attorney General of the United States

• 1983 – Hon. Robert N. Wilentz

Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court

• 1984 – Hon. Morris Pashman

Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court

• 1985 – Hon. Collins J. Seitz

Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

• 1986 – Hon. Frederick B. Lacey

United States Attorney and Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 1987 – Hon. Herbert J. Stern

United States Attorney and Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 1988 – Hon. Mitchell H. Cohen

Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 1988 – Hon. Leonard I. Garth

Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

• 1988 – Hon. James Hunter, III

Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

• 1989 – Hon. Clarkson S. Fisher

Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 1989 – William J. Brennan, III, Esq.
• 1990 – Hon. John J. Gibbons

Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

• 1991 – Hon. John F. Gerry

Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 1992 – Thomas F. Campion, Esq.
• 1993 – Hon. A. Leon Higginbotham

Former Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

• 1994 – Hon. David H. Souter

Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court

• 1995 – Hon. Harold A. Ackerman

Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 1995 – Hon. Stanley S. Brotman

Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 1995 – Hon. Dickinson R. Debevoise

Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 1996 – Hon. Robert L. Clifford

Retired Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court

• 1997 – Hon. Sidney M. Schreiber

Retired Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court

• 1997 – William B. McGuire, Esq.
• 1998 – Rev. Daniel A. Degnan, S.J.

Former Dean of the Seton Hall University School of Law

• 1998 – Hon. Herman D. Michels

Retired New Jersey Superior Court Judge

• 1999 – Hon. Robert E. Cowen

Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

• 1999 – Hon. Joseph H. Rodriguez

Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 2000 – Hon. Maryanne Trump Barry

Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

• 2000 – John J. Barry, Esq.
• 2001 – Hon. Anne E. Thompson

Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 2001 – Hon. Morton I. Greenberg

Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

• 2001 – Hon. Alfred M. Wolin

Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 2002 – Hon. John C. Lifland

Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 2002 – Hon. Nicholas H. Politan

Retired Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 2002 – Raymond A. Brown, Esq.
• 2003 – Donald A. Robinson, Esq.
• 2003 – Justin P. Walder, Esq.
• 2004 – Hon. Edward R. Becker

Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

• 2004 – Frederic K. Becker, Esq.
• 2005 – Hon. John W. Bissell

Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 2005 – Hon. Joseph E. Irenas

Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 2006 – Hon. William C. Bassler

United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 2006 – Hon. William H. Walls

United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 2007 – Hon. Marie L. Garibaldi

Retired Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court

• 2007 – Hon. Daniel J. O’Hern

Retired Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court

• 2008 – Hon. James R. Zazzali

Retired Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court

• 2008 – Jonathan L. Goldstein, Esq.
• 2009 – Hon. John J. Hughes

Retired Magistrate Judge for the District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 2009 – Bruce I. Goldstein, Esq.
• 2010 – Hon. Garrett E. Brown, Jr.

Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 2010 – Michael R. Griffinger, Esq.
• 2011 – Thomas R. Curtin, Esq.
• 2011 – Hon. Katharine S. Hayden

Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 2012 – John J. Farmer, Jr., Esq.
• 2012 – Carl D. Poplar, Esq.
• 2013 – Hon. Rosemary Gambardella

United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 2013 – Theodore V. Wells, Jr., Esq.
• 2014 – Hon. Dennis M. Cavanaugh

Retired Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 2014 – Joseph A. Hayden, Jr., Esq.
• 2015 – Hon. Joseph A. Greenaway, Jr.

Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

• 2015 – Lawrence S. Lustberg, Esq.

• 2016 - Hon. Jerome B. Simandle

Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey

• 2016 - Hon. Stuart Rabner

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey

• 2017 - Hon. Paul J. Fishman

United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey

• 2018 - Hon. Michael A. Chagares

Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

• 2019 - Hon. Stanley R. Chesler

United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey

• 2019 - Joseph P. LaSala, Esq.

With Justice Brennan's agreement and participation, the National Trial Advocacy College at the University of Virginia School of Law established the William J. Brennan, Jr. Award in 1987. The Brennan Award honors Justice Brennan's unsurpassed contributions to the United States legal system and, in particular, to the enhancement of trial advocacy skills. The honorees--judges, public officials, and private practitioners--are selected on the basis of 1) their outstanding skills as trial lawyers and members of the judiciary, and 2) their outstanding contributions to advocacy education and to the legal profession. An engraved pewter bowl is given to each recipient.

These persons have received the Brennan Award:

1987: Judah Best, Robert R. Merhige, Jr., Herbert J. Stern; 1988: Charles L. Becton, James D. StClair, Stephen A. Salzburg; 1989: William J. Brennan, III, Terence F. MacCarthy; 1990: John J. Curtin, Bruce I. Goldstein; 1991: Frederic N. Smalkin, Gregory P. Joseph, Peter J. Kenny; 1992: Thomas F. Campion, Stephen M. Duncan; 1993: James T. Turner, John C. Lowe; 1994: James M. Brown, Barry I. Fredericks, Charles B. Gorham; 1995: Ralph Adam Fine, Colin J.S. Thomas, Jr.; 1996: Raymond M. Tierney, Mary Lynn Tate, Edward R. Slaughter, Jr.; 1997: Stephen B. Farmer, Norman K. Moon; 1998: Stephen H. Helvin, Gerald A. Messerman; 1999: Helen S. Balick, Bernard Balick, Robert M. Taylor; 2000: Michael R. Fontham, B. Waugh Crigler; 2001: BrianJ. Donato, Arthur J. Schwab; 2002: David Boies, Gerald F. Ivey; 2003: James J. Brosnahan, David G. Lowe, Clifford R. Weckstein; 2004: Antonin G. Scalia; 2005: Peter Hill Beer, Adrian G. DuPlantier; 2006: Benjamin R. Civiletti, Peter J. Neufeld; 2007: Leonie M. Brinkema, Robert A. Clifford, Jo-Ellen Dimitrius; 2008: Barbara J. Rothstein, Theodore V. Wells, Jr., Kenneth R. Feinberg; 2009: Mortimer M. Caplin, Julian Abele Cook, Jr.; 2010: Otto F. Feil, III, Kathy L. Nusslock; 2011: Liam O'Grady; 2012: Russell E. Carparelli, Ricardo M. Urbina.[5]

• William O. Douglas Prize