ABA announces finalists for 2019 Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts

The American Bar Association today announced the 19 finalists for the 2019 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.

"Among so many excellent entries, the ABA Gavel Awards Screening Committee had a very challenging assignment to select these finalists," said Stephen C. Edds, chair of the Standing Committee on Gavel Awards. "We are pleased to recognize these finalists and look forward to choosing awardees among an already select group."

The winners will be announced on May 15. No more than one Silver Gavel is presented in each category. Honorable Mentions are also awarded, but awards are not presented in every category every year.

The ABA Gavel Awards Screen­ing Committee, composed of 48 lawyer-members of the ABA, selected the 19 finalists from 164 entries received in all eligible categories, which include books, commentaries, documentaries, drama and literature, magazines, multimedia, newspapers, radio and television.

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.

The ABA has presented these awards each year since 1958. The 18-member ABA Standing Committee on Gavel Awards makes the final award decisions. ABA President Bob Carlson will present Silver Gavels and Honorable Mentions on July 16 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

To learn more about the Silver Gavel Awards, go to www.ambar. org/gavelawards.

The following is a complete list of finalists with links to their work:

BOOKS

"Civilizing Torture: An American Tradition"

W. Fitzhugh Brundage, author

Harvard University Press

-----

"Metamorphosis: How to Transform Punishment in America"

Robert A. Ferguson, author

Yale University Press

-----

"Prosecuting the President: How Special Prosecutors Hold Presidents Accountable and Protect the Rule of Law"

Andrew Coan, author

Oxford University Press

-----

"The Schoolhouse Gate: Public Education, the Supreme Court, and the Battle for the American Mind"

Justin Driver, author

Penguin Random House/Pantheon Books

-----

"We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights"

Adam Winkler, author

W.W. Norton/Liveright Publishing

-----

"The Woman's Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote"

Elaine Weiss, author

Penguin Random House/ Viking

DOCUMENTARIES

"Dark Money"

American Documentary/POV and PBS Distribution

Big Sky Film Productions with Big Mouth Productions and Meerket Media Collaborative

Kimberly Reed, director, writer and producer

Katy Chevigny, producer

Jay Arthur Sterrenberg, writer and editor

Justine Nagan and Chris White, executive producers, POV

-----

"I Am Evidence"

Shelved, LLC for HBO Documentary Films

Trish Adlesic, co-director and producer

Mariska Hargitay, producer

Geeta Gandbhir, co-director and supervising editor

-----

"RBG"

Magnolia Pictures, Participant Media and CNN Films

Betsy West, director and producer

Julie Cohen, director and producer

MAGAZINES

"A Culture of No"

The Investigative Fund with Virginia Quarterly Review

Justine van der Leun, reporter

Darren Ankrom, researcher

Esther Kaplan, editor, The Investigative Fund

Paul Reyes, editor, VQR

-----

"Sign Here to Lose Everything"

Bloomberg

Zachary Mider, reporter

Zeke Faux, reporter

David Ingold, data analyst

Demetrios Pogkas, data analyst

MULTIMEDIA

"Taking Cover: How Cops Escape Discipline for Shootings in Suburban Chicago"

Better Government Association and WBEZ

Jared Rutecki and Casey Toner, investigative reporters

Patrick Smith, reporter, WBEZ

Patrick Judge, web and graphics editor

NEWSPAPERS

"Denied Justice"

Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minn.)

Brandon Stahl, reporter

Jennifer Bjorhus, reporter

Karen Lundegaard, online editor

MaryJo Webster, data editor

Renee Jones Schneider, photo journalist

-----

"Protecting the Shield"

Asbury Park Press

Paul D'Ambrosio, investigations director

Andrew Ford, Kala Kachmar, Susanne Cervenka, Alex Gecan, Ken Serrano,staff writers

RADIO

"Serial Season 3, Episode 1: A Bar Fight Walks into the Justice Center"

Serial Podcast

Julie Snyder, executive producer

Sarah Koenig, host and reporter

Emmanuel Dzotsi, reporter

Ben Calhoun, producer

Ira Glass, editor

-----

"Civics 101: Midterm Edition Series"

New Hampshire Public Radio

Erika Janik, executive producer

Hannah McCarthy, co-host, producer

Nick Capodice, co-host, producer, and education outreach producer

TELEVISION

"Drawing the Line"

CBS Sunday Morning

Mo Rocca, correspondent

Dustin Stephens, producer

Chad Cardin, editor

Ed Givnish, editor

Rand Morrison, executive producer

-----

"100 Years-One Woman's Fight for Justice"

American Documentary for WORLD Channel/America ReFramed

Melinda Janko, director and producer

Michelle Ohayon, producer

Lekha Singh, Alan Blomquist and Dea Shandera-Hunter, executive producers

Carmen Vicencio, series producer

-----

"Power of Attorneys"

CBS This Morning "What's Working"

Mark Strassman, national correspondent

Larry Elardo, coordinating producer

Miles Doran, producer

Published: Thu, Mar 14, 2019