The Illinois State Bar Association Law Student Division’s Public Service Award is awarded annually to a law student participating in activities that enhance professional responsibility and provide service to the public. The award is based on extracurricular accomplishments and service related activities during the law school career.
A finalist will be selected from each accredited law school affiliated with the ISBA Law Student Division from which qualified nominees are submitted. The final award recipient will be chosen from these finalists. Each winner will receive a commemorative plaque. All decisions are final.
To be eligible for this award you must be a member in good standing of the Law Student Division of the Illinois State Bar Association. Prior applicants may apply, except for prior final award recipients.
Required Information for Nominations
- Name, ISBA member number, school, address, email, telephone, year in law school and type of student, and bar admission date of nominee (If not currently an ISBA Law Student Member, sign up for free for electronic membership or for $12.00 for regular membership.)
- Nominator (if different from nominee, include name, address and telephone number)
- Describe in detail the nominee’s involvement in the public service activities.
- A listing of name(s) of organization(s), contact person, telephone number and amount of hours per week and if credits were received. Applicants are encouraged to emphasize volunteer public service activities.
If you have any questions, please email awards@isba.org.
Deadline for awards submission is Monday, March 3, 2025.
Previous Winners
- 2024 - Alexis McCain, University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
- 2023 - Ameer Soomro, Southern Illinois University
- 2022 - Jake Leahy, University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
- 2021 - Nicole Mannen, Southern Illinois University
- 2020 - Brittany Wiegand, University of Illinois College of Law
- 2018 - Gabriela Zamfir, University of Illinois College of Law
- 2017 - Kathleen Karayannis, University of Illinois College of Law and Hanoch Kanhai-Zamora, Northern Illinois University College of Law
- 2016 - Kimberly-Claire Seymour
- 2015 - Abigail Leinsdorf, Northwestern University School of Law, Chicago
- 2014 - Kaitlin Barclay, Northern Illinois University College of Law,
Naperville
- 2013 - Meg Hogan, Northern Illinois University College of Law, Dekalb
- 2012 - Alejandra Lara, University of Illinois College of Law, Champaign
- 2011 - Angela Rollins, Southern Illinois University School of Law, Carbondale
- 2010 - Jennifer Grobelski, DePaul University College of Law, Chicago
- 2009 - Andrea Taylor, SIU School of Law, Carbondale
- 2008 - Jill E. Roberts, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago
- 2007 - Carmelita Tiu, DePaul University College of Law, Chicago
- 2006 - Kari Beyer, The John Marshall Law School, Chicago
- 2005 - Joseph Lin, The John Marshall Law School, Chicago
- 2004 - Nicole Lalich, University Of Illinois College of Law, Champaign
- 2003 - Kaitrin E. Stumpf, Chicago Kent College of Law, Chicago
- 2002 - Ryan J. Dowd, Northern Illinois University College of Law, DeKalb
- 2001 - Melanie Maron, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago
- 2000 - November L. Davison, Southern Illinois University School of Law, Carbondale
- 1999 - Karen Merrill, Loyola University College of Law, Chicago
- 1998 - Carolyn Buntin, Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago
- 1997 - Katharine M. Hoskinson, Loyola University College of Law, Chicago
- 1996 - Melissa Jobe, University of Illinois College of Law, Champaign
- 1995 - Karen M. Bala, Loyola University College of Law, Chicago
- 1994 - Elizabeth M. Vargas-Duncan, Southern Illinois University School of Law, Carbondale
- 1993 - Michael P. Ruiz, University of Chicago Law School, Chicago
- 1992 - Kathryn “Kate” Kelly, DePaul University, Chicago
- 1991 - Allen Fore, Valparaiso, Indiana
- 1990 - Amy Zimmerman, Northwestern, Chicago