The American Bar Association recently announced its selections for the 2022 Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts, which recognize outstanding work that fosters the American public’s understanding of law and the legal system. This is the ABA’s highest honor in recognition of this purpose.
This year the ABA is presenting eight Silver Gavels and four Honorable Mentions among 29 finalists identified from 176 entries received in all eligible categories, which include books, commentary, documentaries, drama and literature, magazines, multimedia, newspapers, radio and television.
“The American Bar Association conducts an extensive review of the entrants and undertakes a deliberative process to select Silver Gavel winners and Honorable Mentions,” said Sharon Stern Gerstman, chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Gavel Awards. “We congratulate all of the 2022 awardees for their dedication and excellent work toward advancing the American public’s understanding of the law and the justice system.”
The recognized works focus on such matters as gender violence, civil rights, legal history, cold cases, discrimination, civics and the pursuit of justice.
The following is a complete list of the 2022 Silver Gavel award winners with links to their work:
—Books
“Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence”
Viking Books
Anita Hill, author
—Commentary
“Punitive Excess”
Brennan Center for Justice
Lauren-Brooke Eisen, director, justice program
Daniel Okrent, senior fellow
—Documentaries
“My Name is Pauli Murray”
Amazon Studios
Betty West and Julie Cohen, directors
Talleah Bridges McMahon, producer
Claudia Raschke, DP
Cinque Northern, editor
—Magazines
“Black Legal History in Oklahoma: May 2021 Oklahoma Bar Journal”
Oklahoma Bar Association/Oklahoma Bar Journal
John Morris Williams, executive director/editor in chief
Lori Rasmussen, communications director
Melissa DeLacerda, chairperson
Lauren Rimmer, communications specialist
Carol Manning, communications director
—Multimedia
“Un(re)solved”
Frontline
Tamara Shogaolu, creative director
—Newspapers
“The Real Damage”
The Washington Post
Hannah Dreier, national enterprise reporter
Andrew Ba Tran, investigative data reporter
—Radio
“Civics 101: Supreme Court Series”
Civics 101
Nick Capodice, host
Hannah McCarthy, host/producer
Jacqui Fulton, producer
Erika Janik, executive producer
—Television
“A Promise to Ahmaud”
48 Hours
Omar Villafranca, correspondent
The four Honorable Mentions are:
—Magazines
“Legal Roadblocks to Police Accountability”
Gateway Journalism Review/Pulitzer Center
William Freivogel, publisher/grantee
Kallie Cox and Orli Sheffey, reporters
Steve Edwards, illustrator
Abbey La Tour, design chief/photographer
Jackie Spinner, editor
—Newspapers
“Unsettled: Cashing in on Accident Victims”
Star Tribune
Jeffrey Meitrodt, investigative reporter
Nicole Norfleet and Adam Belz, reporters
Jeff Wheeler, photojournalist
C.J. Sinner, director of graphics & data visuals
Thomas Oide, digital designer
—Radio
“On Our Watch”
National Public Radio/KQED
Sukey Lewis, host/reporter
Sandhya Dirks, producer/reporter
Nicole Beemsterboer, Alex Emslie and Leila Day, editors
Huo Jingnan, data editor
Adelina Lancianese, producer
Nina Sparling and Cynthia Betubiza, assistant producers
Liana Simstrom, supervising producer/project manager
—Television
“60 Minutes: Attack on the Judiciary”
CBS News 60 Minutes
Bill Owens, executive producer
Tanya Simon, executive editor
Bill Whitaker, correspondent
Heather Abbott, producer
LaCrai Mitchell, associate producer
Craig Crawford, editor
The ABA has presented these awards each year since 1958. The 18-member ABA Standing Committee on Gavel Awards makes the final award decisions. No more than one Silver Gavel is presented in each category. Honorable Mentions are also recognized, but awards are not presented in every category every year.
Selection criteria include how the entry addresses the Silver Gavel Awards’ purpose and objectives; educational value of legal information; impact on, or outreach to, the public; thoroughness and accuracy in presentation of issues; creativity and originality in approach to subject matter and effectiveness of presentation; and demonstrated technical skill in the entry’s production.
ABA President Reginald Turner will present Silver Gavels and Honorable Mentions on July 12 at an in-person event at 5:30 p.m. at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The ceremony will also be livestreamed. Alan C. Miller, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and founder and CEO of the News Literacy Project, will be the keynote speaker.
To learn more about the Silver Gavel Awards, go to www.ambar.org/gavelawards.
