Dear members,



The ABA Board of Governors has recently created a new award, named the Mark Hardin Award for Child Welfare Legal Scholarship and Systems Change.  There is a call for nominations, with a due date of March 30.   Please see the attached for details about Mark Hardin and his almost 30 years of service in the child welfare field.  Please see below for information re:  nominee eligibility and nomination process.   You are encouraged to nominate a deserving colleague - I am sure that among our sections' members, there are several people who are eligible for this award.


Eligibility
Nominee must be a practicing or retired attorney, current or retired law professor, a sitting or retired judge, or a current or former federal or state legislator.  The award is given based on an individual's personal achievement and commitment.  It is not given to groups of people, organizations, or posthumously.  Nominees must have a record of significant accomplishments in one, or ideally both, of these areas:
        Legal Scholarship: The nominee will have shown significant accomplishment in:
*         Authoring books, book chapters, published articles, or other materials that have been influential in significant child welfare law, policy, or practice changes; and/or
*         Using personal knowledge of the law and exemplary legal practice to do considerable training or technical assistance at the national, regional, or state levels that has been influential in bringing about law, policy, and practice changes.

        Systems Change: The nominee will have shown significant accomplishment in:
*         Authoring important federal or state child welfare legislation;
*         Advising on the development or helping influence passage of important federal or state legislation;
*         Leading a federal or state child welfare agency through major system change focused on improvements in child safety, permanency, and well-being;
*         Having had a key role in developing appellate case law or doing significant litigation on behalf of families and children that resulted in major system change; and/or
*         Having been intensively involved in a state's Court Improvement Program which led to demonstrably significant and lasting reform.

The nominee should embody Mark's leadership style, characterized by humility, a "willingness to serve," and a deep driving compassion for children and families.  Mark was a mentor to many, a willing collaborator, and great influencer of change.  He kept focused on the end results he sought and continually pushed his colleagues, in his understated manner, towards reaching these results. He remained steadfast to effecting positive change for children and families over his long career. The winning nominee will be someone who shares many of these qualities.

Nomination Process
A nomination packet must be submitted by March 30, 2012 and should include:

  *   Nomination Form
  *   Nomination letter explaining the qualifications of the nominee and setting forth the reasons why the nominee should receive this award.  The letter must include a description of the nominee's legal work on the behalf of families and children, and their employment and professional history.
  *   Up to three letters of recommendation may be included.  Examples could include letters from the nominee's clients, individuals familiar with the nominee's work on behalf of families and children, the nominee's current or former employers, fellow practitioners, or any other individual who can explain why the nominee should receive the award.

Nomination letters, and letters of recommendation, should explain how the nominee reflects the qualities and values (such as humility, willingness to mentor others, ability to collaborate to effect change, etc.) that Mark represents.

Nomination letters, and letters of recommendation, must not exceed 10 pages in total and must be received by March 30, 2012.  A decision on the recipient of the award will be made no later than May 4, 2012. The award will be presented during the annual National Child Welfare Court Improvement meeting in Washington, DC, June 27-29, 2012.


Regards,

Jessica Dixon Weaver
Chair - AALS Section on Children and the Law

Jessica Dixon Weaver
Assistant Professor
Southern Methodist University
Dedman School of Law
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