Above The Law's 2016 Lawyer Of The Year Contest: Nominations Needed
Who should be Above the Law’s Lawyer of the Year for 2016? You tell us!
The year 2016 has been difficult for many — and as it prepares to leave us, it is sadly taking beloved public figures with it. In the past 48 hours or so, we have learned of the deaths of such celebrities as George Michael and Carrie Fisher.
The legal world lost luminaries this year as well. The most prominent, of course, was Justice Antonin Scalia. But there were others, of course — for example, Janet Reno, the first woman to serve as U.S. Attorney General.
We are fortunate, however, to still have with us many great judges, lawyers, and other legal figures. Please reflect on them and consider who you would like to nominate in Above the Law’s tenth annual LAWYER OF THE YEAR competition.
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Please submit your nominees to us by email (subject line “Lawyer of the Year 2016”). We will review them and pick a slate of finalists, and then you’ll vote on them in a reader poll.
The winner will join an august group of past LOTY honorees, including Chief Justice John Roberts (2012) and President Barack Obama (2008). But the contest has room for fun as well. Last year’s champion was a young Texas lawyer by the name of Bryan Wilson — better known to the world as the “Law Hawk,” famous for his irreverent and creative attorney advertisements.
So who will win this year? Perhaps Cravath’s outgoing presiding partner, Allen Parker, who raised associate salaries for the first time in almost a decade? Or incoming White House Counsel Don McGahn, the legal architect of Donald Trump’s stunning win in the presidential election? Or how about Hillary Clinton or Merrick Garland? Neither got what he or she wanted so badly, but perhaps Lawyer of the Year honors can serve as a consolation prize.
What does it take to be nominated? As we’ve explained before:
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What are the criteria for being our Lawyer of the Year? Since you’re doing the nominating and voting, it’s really up to you.
You can nominate a LOTY based on whatever reasoning you choose — e.g., because the lawyer in question is influential, infamous, awesome, or awful.
While we want for Donald Trump’s SCOTUS nominee — he’s reportedly narrowed the field down to five — let’s generate some nominations of our own. Please submit your Lawyer of the Year picks by WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4, at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern time). We look forward to reading your thoughts and insights on the potential candidates who will go on to vie for the title of Above the Law’s Lawyer of the Year for 2016.
David Lat is the founder and managing editor of Above the Law and the author of Supreme Ambitions: A Novel. He previously worked as a federal prosecutor in Newark, New Jersey; a litigation associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz; and a law clerk to Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. You can connect with David on Twitter (@DavidLat), LinkedIn, and Facebook, and you can reach him by email at [email protected].
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