Recognizing Those Who Raise the Bar for Justice: Submit Your 2025 Nominations
Each year, the Philadelphia Bar Foundation recognizes individuals and institutions whose unwavering commitment to equal access to justice inspires us all. These are the quiet champions and tireless advocates—the people and organizations shaping the future of civil legal aid in Philadelphia and beyond.
As we open nominations for our 2025 Awards, we invite you to reflect on the incredible people who make our legal community stronger, fairer, and more compassionate. If someone in your firm, organization, or network exemplifies what it means to serve justice, we want to hear from you.
In the five years since I have been on the Board of Trustees we have been proud to honor extraordinary leaders, including:
Philadelphia Bar Foundation Awardees
These individuals have been recognized for advancing equal access to justice through a career of exemplary dedication:
2024: Marc Bookman, Esq., Atlantic Center for Capital Representation
2023: Professor Seth Kreimer, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
2022: Su Ming Yeh, Esq., Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project
2021: Nilam A. Sanghvi, Esq., Pennsylvania Innocence Project
2020: Kelly J. Gastley, Esq., Philadelphia VIP & David Keller Trevaskis, Esq., Pennsylvania Bar Association
2019: Linda Peyton, Esq., Legal Clinic for the Disabled
Pro Bono Award Recipients
These are law firms and legal departments whose pro bono commitment is deep, meaningful and impactful:
2024: Troutman Pepper Locke
2023: Holland & Knight LLP
2022: Duane Morris LLP & Ballard Spahr LLP
2021: White and Williams LLP
2020: Comcast NBCUniversal Law Department & Dechert LLP
2019: Hausfeld LLP
Trailblazer for Justice Honorees
This posthumous award honors groundbreaking leaders whose vision, legacy and perseverance has transformed justice:
2024: Frank M. McClellan (1945–2024)
2021: William T. Coleman Jr. (1920–2017)
These honorees represent just a fraction of the brilliance, courage, compassion and leadership within the legal community. Once again, it is time to consider whom should be nominated. Whether it’s a longtime legal aid leader, a fierce young advocate, a pro bono powerhouse, or a firm doing the work behind the scenes—help us spotlight those who are breaking barriers to justice.
➤ Nominations for the 2025 Philadelphia Bar Foundation Awards are now open and due by May 16, 2025.
https://www.philabarfoundation.org/2025-philly-justice-awards-nominations
Award recipients will be honored at the Philly Justice Awards, taking place on the evening of November 6, 2025, at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia.
Let’s uplift the changemakers, the visionaries, and the quiet heroes. Because honoring them honors the mission—and reminds us all of why this work matters.
P.S. This month I read The Lion Women of Tehran by Marian Kamala. This is a wonderful book that discusses friendship against the backdrop of Iran in the early days of the Shah’s reign up to the present time. It is thoughtful, highly readable and gives a framework of Iran’s history.