Awards & Grants

PLLIP-SIS Awards

The PLLIP Awards Committee is now accepting nominations for 2023, and it’s time to send us the names of your nominees! This year’s awards are:

Advocate of the Year

Designed to recognize a member who has been a strong advocate of private law librarianship and provided meaningful service to the Private Law Libraries SIS, their organization, and the larger legal community and who demonstrates outstanding potential for continued service and leadership within the SIS and the profession. The award includes a plaque as well as a registration grant for the AALL Annual Meeting or the PLLIP Summit, to be used within two years of the award.

Selection Criteria: nominees must 1) be an active member in good standing of AALL and PLLIP 2) have made significant contributions to PLLIP and their organization, and 3) show outstanding potential for continued service and leadership within PLLIP and the profession, 4) not have previously received the Advocate or Service to PLLIP Award and 5) not be a current or immediate past officer of PLLIP.

Best Blogger/Writer of the Year

Designed to recognize a member who has made significant blogging/writing contributions to the private law library profession, their organization, and the Private Law Librarians SIS and demonstrates outstanding potential for continued service and leadership within the SIS and the profession.

Selection Criteria: nominees must 1) Create blog posts or articles that contribute to topics relating to librarianship, law librarianship, and practical applications for library work or to an understanding of legal materials, legal systems legal information, or to professional and staff training and development 2) demonstrate high quality of writing and effectiveness of the communication technique utilized for the information sought to be conveyed 3) be an active member in good standing of AALL and/or PLLIP 4) have made significant contributions to PLLIP and their organization, and 5) show outstanding potential for continued service and leadership within PLLIP and the profession.

Distinguished Librarian

Designed to recognize a long-time active member whose contributions to the profession, their organization, and service to the Private Law Librarians SIS have been significant, substantial and long-standing.

Selection criteria: nominees must 1) be an active member in good standing of AALL and PLLIP 15 years or more, and 2) have made significant contributions to PLLIP and their organization.

Emerging Leader of the Year

Designed to recognize a member in the early stages of his/her career who has made significant contributions to the law library profession, their organization, and the Private Law Libraries SIS and demonstrates outstanding potential for continued service and leadership within the SIS and the profession.

Selection criteria: nominees must: 1) be an active member in good standing of AALL and PLLIP, 2) be in the first 2-5 years of their law library career, 3) have not previously received the PLLIP Emerging Leader Award, 4) have made significant contributions to PLLIP and their organization, and 4) show outstanding potential for continued service and leadership within PLLIP and the profession.

Hall of Fame

Designed to recognize a retired member who over the entire course of their career made significant contributions to the private law library profession, their organization, and the Private Law Librarians SIS.

Selection Criteria: nominees must 1) be a member in good standing of AALL and PLLIP 2) have been a law librarian for at least 15 years, and 3) have made significant contributions to PLLIP and/or their organization.

Innovative Professional

Designed to recognize a member who has demonstrated significant innovation to the private law library profession, their organization, and the Private Law Librarians SIS, and who demonstrates outstanding potential for continued service and leadership within the SIS and the profession.

Selection criteria: nominees must: 1) be an active member in good standing of AALL and PLLIP and/or chapter members, 2) have made significant contributions to PLLIP and their organization, and 3) show outstanding potential for continued service and leadership within PLLIP and the profession

Vendor/Outside Champion Award

Designed to recognize activities or initiatives by outside vendors which promote the value of information professionals to the broader legal community. Initiatives could include advertising campaigns, surveys or articles which highlight or demonstrate the value of information professionals; inviting or facilitating opportunities where information professionals speak or write for an audience of law firm partners and executive directors.  Specifically excluded are initiatives paid for by AALL or PLLIP and traditional sponsorship of conferences and educational activities.

Selection Criteria: nominees must 1) have initiated programs or activities that promote the value of information professionals to the broader legal community 2) not have received payment for the activity or initiative by AALL or PLLIP, and 3) not be a current or immediate past officer of PLLIP.

Questions

Contact Ronda Fisch, chair of the PLLIP Awards Committee, and Leanna Simon, co-chair of the PLLIP Awards Committe.

Resources

Download the 2023 PLLIP-SIS Award Nomination Form
Download the PLLIP-SIS Awards List

Recipients

Each of our outstanding award recipients are distinguished in their commitment and level of engagement to our profession, particularly as members and supporters the Private Law Library and Information Professional community. It is with gratitude that we congratulate these exceptional individuals and groups.

  • 2015-2023

    2023

    Advocate of the Year: Lindsey Carpino, BakerHostetler
    Best Blogger/Writer of the Year: Emily Moog, New York Law Institute
    Distinguished Librarian of the Year: Holly Riccio, California Judicial Center
    Hall of Fame: Michael Bernier, Retired, Bloomberg Industry Group and Gayle Lynn-Nelson, Retired, LexisNexis™
    Vendor/Outside Champion Award: Mark Torchiana, Courtroom Insight

    2022

    Advocate of the Year: Shari Berkowitz, Duff Jones Day
    Best Blogger/Writer of the Year: Kevin Miles, Norton Rose Fulbright
    Distinguished Librarian of the Year: Jennifer Berman, McDermott Will & Emery LLP
    Emerging Leader of the Year: Alexis Branham, BakerHostetler
    Hall of Fame: Steve Lastres, Retired
    Innovative Professional of the Year: Catherine Monte, Fox Rothschild LLP
    Vendor/Outside Champion Award: Westlaw Information Management Advisor Team: Wendy Maines,Blythe McCoy, Kim Hurley, Jane Lippmann, Thomson Reuters

    2021

    Advocate of the Year: Eugene Giudice, Dentons US LLP, Research Services Training Specialist
    Best Blogger/Writer of the Year: Allison C. Reeve Davis, Littler Mendelson, P.C., Senior Library Manager
    Distinguished Librarian: Andre Davison, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP, R & I Operations Implementation Manager
    Hall of Fame: Loretta Orndorff, Retired
    Vendor/Outside Champion Award: Mike Bernier, Bloomberg Industry Group, Director of Knowledge Services and Library Relations

    2020

    Best Blogger/Writer of the Year: Cynthia Brown, Director, Research Services, Littler
    Distinguished Librarian: Jean O’Grady, Director of Research & Knowledge Services, DLA Piper US
    Hall of Fame: James (Jim) Senter, Library Services Manager, Jones Day
    Service to PLLIP Award: Juli Stahl, Research Services Manager, Ackerman
    Vendor/Outside Champion Award: Gayle Lynn-Nelson, Senior Librarian Relations Consultant, LexisNexis

    2019

    Advocate of the Year: Diana Koppang, Director of Research & Competitive Intelligence; Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg
    Best Blogger/Writer of the Year: Marlene Gebauer, Director of Strategic Legal Insights, Greenberg Traurig
    Service to PLLIP Award: Andrea Guldalian, Library Resources Manager, Duane Morris

    2018

    Advocate of the Year: June Liebert,  Firmwide Director of Library & Research Services, Sidley Austin
    Best Blogger/Writer of the Year: Harris County Law Library
    Distinguished Librarian: Steve Lastres, Director Knowledge Management Services, Debevoise & Plimpton
    Emerging Leader of the Year: Leanna Simon, Reference Librarian, Honigman Miller Schwartz & Cohn
    Hall of Fame: Martha Goldman, retired Research & Library Services Manager, Jones Day and Cindy Spohr, retired Manager Librarian Relations Group, LexisNexis
    Innovative Professional of the Year: Katherine Lowry, Director of Practice Services, Baker & Hostetler
    Service to PLLIP Award: Kevin Miles, Manager of Library Services, Norton Rose Fulbright
    Vendor/Outside Champion Award: Chuck Lowry, Account Executive, Fastcase

    2017

    Advocate of the Year: Scott Bailey, Squire Patton Boggs
    Best Blogger/Writer of the Year: Jean O’Grady, DLA Piper
    Distinguished Librarian: Caren Luckie, Jackson Walker
    Emerging Leader of the Year: Julie Jones, Jones Day
    Hall of Fame: Bob Oakes
    Innovative Professional of the Year: Jeffrey M. Nelson, Squire Patton Boggs
    Service to PLLIP Award: Linda-Jean Schneider, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
    Vendor/Outside Champion Award: Casey Flaherty, Procertas Professional

    2016

    Best Blogger/Writer of the Year: Greg Lambert, Chief Knowledge Services Officer at Jackson Walker
    Distinguished Librarian: Elaine Knecht, Director of Information Resources at Barclay Damon
    Hall of Fame: Bess Reynolds and Janet Accordo
    Rookie of the Year: Corrine Vogel, Research Librarian at Baker Botts
    Service to PLL Award: Lucy Curci-Gonzalez, Executive Director at the NY Law Institute
    Vendor/Outside champion Award: Fastcase

    2015

    Advocate of the Year: Jean O’Grady
    Best Blogger/Writer of the Year: Susan Catterall
    Distinguished Librarian: Ellen Callinan
    Emerging Leader of the Year: Alicia M. Pappas
    Hall of Fame: Susan Yancey, Jane Holland and Jill Sidford
    Innovative Professional of the Year: Denise Pagh and Marcia Burris
    Rookie of the Year: Jourdan Corbitt
    Service to PLL Award: Jennifer A. Berman
    Vendor/Outside champion Award -New Award: Monica Bay