The Kathleen McCree Lewis Award for Appellate Justice was created in honor of the Academy's past president Kathleen McCree Lewis, who died shortly after completing her term as president. The Academy's Board of Directors wanted to recognize Kathleen's warmth, elegance, and especially her devotion to appellate justice, as well as to acknowledge the inspiring contributions of her predecessors and successors in the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.

The purpose of the award is to honor an individual who, or group that, has made a contribution that has had an exceptional impact on the delivery of appellate justice. By recognizing such contributions, the Academy hopes to call positive attention to the societal importance of the functions of appellate courts, and to recognize extraordinary excellence and significant contributions to the appellate process.

Potential recipients may be individual judges or justices, entire courts, court administrators, law professors, and lawyers, active or retired, who is making or has made in the past three years a contribution to the delivery of appellate justice consistent with the purpose of the award.

Candidates must be nominated by at least one active fellow of the Academy. Click here to download the nomination form.

2013 Recipient

Sanford (Sandy) Svetcov

Past Recipients

2010   Arthur J. England, Jr.
2009   Professor Daniel Meador
2008   Elaine Alexander