Lori G. Levin, a Chicago criminal defense lawyer in private practice, will receive the 2014 Matthew Maloney Tradition of Excellence Award presented by the ISBA General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Section Council at the organization’s 138th Annual Meeting on Friday, June 20, at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wis.

For 23 years, Levin was a prosecutor in the Cook County State Attorney’s Office where she tried many felony and civil cases before juries. In 2003, she was appointed by the Governor and served six years as executive director of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, an agency dedicated to improving Illinois criminal justice. She also chaired the Illinois Integrated Justice Information Implementation Board and the Task Force to Update the Model Domestic Violence Protocol.

Within the ISBA, she has chaired two standing committees and been an officer on others. She is committed to continuing legal education for lawyers and is a sought-after educator and lecturer on topics that include criminal justice, juvenile justice, child visitation, elder rights and mental health issues. In addition, she was on the governing council of the American Jewish Congress.

In her nomination, Melissa Olivero, member of the ISBA Standing Committee on Women and the Law, wrote that Levin “sets the standard in delivering high quality legal services as a solo practitioner” and that she “embodies the very qualities of Matthew Maloney himself: professionalism, excellence and service.”