Descriptions of the selection methodologies for the awards and recognitions referenced throughout our website can be found below or through the links provided below. In addition, links to specific methodologies are embedded in the individual entries on professional biographies and other pages of this site. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Gibbons Recognitions: Methodologies & Descriptions
LINKS TO METHODOLOGIES
Best Law Firms® (conferred by BL Rankings, LLC d/b/a Best Lawyers and Co., LLC)
Best Lawyers® (conferred by BL Rankings, LLC d/b/a Best Lawyers and Co., LLC)
Chambers USA Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business
Finance Monthly: Deal Makers of the Year
IAM Patent Litigation 250: The World’s Leading Patent Litigators
IAM Patent Litigation 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Litigators
Lawdragon: 500 Leading U.S. Bankruptcy & Restructuring Lawyers
New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission: Annual Report on Lobbying Expenditures
New Jersey Law Journal: Professional Excellence Awards
New Jersey Law Journal: Trailblazers
New Jersey State Bar Association Pro Bono Committee “Lifetime Pro Bono Achievement” Awards
NJBIZ: Power 100 List of the Most Powerful People in New Jersey Business
PolitickerNJ.com: Power List of New Jersey’s 100 Most Politically Influential Personalities
Profiles in Diversity Journal: Women Worth Watching
ORGANIZATIONS
American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey: “Roger N. Baldwin Award”
The Roger N. Baldwin Medal of Liberty, named in honor of one of the ACLU’s principal founders, was established in 1989 and is presented biennially by the ACLU to recognize lifetime contributions to civil liberties or an exceptional contribution to civil liberties in the United States.
American College of Trial Lawyers New Jersey State Committee: “Francis X. Dee Award”
A recognition of a trial lawyer who demonstrates outstanding advocacy skills and is dedicated to improving the standards of trial practice and administration of justice.
American Jewish Committee (AJC): Judge Learned Hand Award
The Judge Learned Hand Award is the highest honor American Jewish Committee bestows on members of the legal profession. Established in memory of a legendary figure, Judge Learned Hand, Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1924 to 1951. Widely admired as a dean among American jurists, Judge Hand was famous for the extensive range of decisions he rendered in more than two thousand cases.
Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers of New Jersey: “Honorable Lawrence A. Whipple Memorial Award”
The Honorable Lawrence A. Whipple Memorial Award is presented annually to a member of the New Jersey bar who exemplifies professionalism, as well as dedication to and passion for the law. The ACDL – NJ is an organization that was formed to respond to the continuing problems confronting criminal defense lawyers to protect and insure compliance with individual constitutional rights.
Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey “Brennan Award”
The first AFBNJ Brennan Award was given in June 1977. Since then, each June, an outstanding jurist, attorney, or other individual whose contributions to the law deserve special recognition has been honored. After several months of consideration and discussion, the AFBNJ Executive Board selects annual Brennan Award recipients.
Burton Award for Legal Achievement: “Outstanding Law Firm Author”
As part of this annual national nonprofit awards programs, attorneys from the nation’s 1,000 largest law firms may submit articles, white papers, and other substantive writing projects for review by a judging panel comprising leading law school professors, members of law firms, and other outstanding leaders in law. To be chosen for “Distinguished Law Firm Writing Awards,” law firm winners must demonstrate clarity, cogency, and persuasive legal writing. Their articles must be published in the preceding year. Judges on the distinguished Legal Writing Awards committee were selected on the basis of their understanding, experience, and passion for legal writing.
Essex County Bar Association: “Samuel S. Saiber Professional Achievement Award”
This award recognizes an attorney whose achievements demonstrate an unwavering dedication to the fair and efficient administration of justice. The practice and professional life of an attorney nominated to receive this award should reflect the vision of Samuel S. Saiber himself, who stated “Earning a livelihood practicing our profession is important, but unless, with it all, we have a continuous sense of our obligation to promote justice and the public good, we have failed to carry out our solemn pledge.”
Executive Women of New Jersey: “Salute to Policy Makers”
Every other year, we host the gala to give companies the opportunity to celebrate the enormous benefit of gender diversity. Our biennial report on gender diversity proves that, along with stronger financial performance, companies with more women on their boards have fewer governance-related issues such as bribery, corruption, shareholder battles, and fraud. Most importantly, Salute raises funds for the EWNJ Graduate Merit Award Program, which is focused on ensuring new generations of women leaders. Our Graduate Merit Award Program has provided tuition assistance to nearly 350 women who were non-traditional graduate students at New Jersey colleges and universities.
Garden State Bar Association: “Oliver Randolph Award”
In 1914, Oliver Randolph became the first African American admitted to the practice of law in New Jersey. In addition to serving as Deputy State Attorney General, Mr. Randolph served for ten years as the first African-American Assistant United States Attorney in New Jersey. The only African American to attend the state’s 1947 Constitutional Convention, he fought for an amendment to the charter abolishing segregation in public schools and the militia. The amendment, adopted 51-18, became a part of the state’s Bill of Rights. He has been hailed as the most prominent civil rights advocate in Newark during the first half of the 20th Century. The Oliver Randolph Award was created to celebrate the legacy of this attorney and civil rights advocate.
Legal Services of New Jersey: “Debevoise-Eakeley Award”
The Debevoise-Eakeley Award is named for two stalwarts of the early Legal Services years. The late Dickinson Debevoise, distinguished private lawyer and later United States District Court judge, helped found the Newark Legal Services program, one of New Jersey’s most important initial projects, and continued to be a key Legal Services supporter throughout his life. Douglas Eakeley was chair of Legal Services of New Jersey from 1981 to 1989, when he entered the Florio administration, and then chaired the national Legal Services Corporation from 1993 until 2002, when he returned to the LSNJ Board. The award recognizes efforts of an attorney in private practice who has committed extraordinary time and effort to expand civil legal assistance and justice for the disadvantaged.
Legal Services of New Jersey: “Equal Justice Medal”
Equal Justice Medals recognize and honor those firms, community organizations, board members, and individuals that made significant contributions to Legal Services and provided much need services to the low-income community over time and especially during the global pandemic.
National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL): “NAWL Rising”
The NAWL Nominations Committee, a group of current and former Board members, reviews and discusses nominated candidates to determine whether they are appropriate to receive a NAWL award. This independent review includes the nominator statement(s), the nominee’s qualifications, experience, and demonstrated relationship with NAWL. A nominee’s sponsorship status is not considered.
National Black Lawyers: 40 Under 40
The NBL selects highly successful and influential African American lawyers with reputations for providing excellent legal representation in their respective practice areas. It is focused on celebrating, promoting, and connecting the most successful and well-known African American attorneys in the country. Top 40 Under 40 is not and has never been a reference to the top 40 under 40 lawyers nationally. Membership is broken down into states and, depending on the number of lawyers in a particular state, regions. The Membership Directory serves the dual purposes of recognizing superior lawyers for case referrals and information requests and for the benefit of individuals in need of legal services.
Selection is based on an objective and uniformly applied process, which includes third-party research and at times peer nomination. Membership is extended only to a select few of the most qualified attorneys from each state or region who demonstrate superior qualifications of leadership, reputation, influence, stature, and public profile measured by objective and uniformly applied standards in compliance with state bar and model rules.
Prospective members of NBL are carefully screened prior to receiving an invitation for membership. All Top 40 Under 40 lawyers are required to be under 40 years of age and are generally required to have a minimum of 3 years in practice. All members must be and remain in good standing with their respective state regulatory bodies. The other criteria used in the vetting and evaluation process include the following (not all must apply): reputation among peers, the judiciary, and the public as evidenced by awards, recognitions, articles; results; board certifications; nominations from Executive Committee, current members, professional association leaders, and fellow lawyers; rankings and ratings of attorneys; local, state, and national media research. The independent research, selection and supervision of the invitation process is handled by a team of 10 employees of Legal Associations Management, Inc. trained and dedicated to researching and vetting prospective lawyers for new membership and current members for renewal.
New Jersey State Bar Association: “Sidney H. Lehman Award”
The award is given to a member of the section who embodies the values of integrity, scholarship, professionalism, dedication, collegiality, and bridging the gaps between labor and management, the plaintiff’s and defense bars.
New Jersey State Bar Foundation “Medal of Honor” Award
The New Jersey State Bar Foundation’s Medal of Honor Award is given annually to lawyers and law-related professionals, as well as lay people, who best exemplify either or both of the following criteria:
- Significant contribution to the advancement or improvement of the justice system or the betterment of the legal profession in New Jersey
- Professional excellence as demonstrated by accomplishments in the law; or service to the profession and the community during their careers.
New Jersey Women Lawyers Association: “Women’s Initiative & Leaders in Law (WILL) Platinum Award”
The organization’s main objective was to host a program that would honor women from a diverse cross-section of the legal community and highlight their exceptional individual achievements, their commitment to the development of the legal profession, and their sustained contributions to gender equity challenges.
New York State Bar Association, Environmental Law Section: “Distinguished Service Award”
Seton Hall University School of Law: Saint Thomas More Medal
This award honors an alumnus’ or alumna’s commitment to the law school, legal profession, and greater community.
Thurgood Marshall College Fund: “Award of Excellence”
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund was established in 1987 to provide financial and administrative assistance to students wishing to attend a historically black public college or university. Its annual Awards of Excellence program honors outstanding achievements in the field of law and a commitment to justice, civil rights, and education.
Trial Attorneys of New Jersey “Trial Bar Award”
In recognition of excellence, given by peers to trial attorneys who have distinguished themselves in the cause of justice.
YWCA: Tribute to Women in Industry (“TWIN”) Award
PUBLICATIONS
Benchmark Litigation: Top 250 Women in Litigation
The extensive research process used in the creation of Benchmark’s Top 250 Women in Litigation involves months of investigation into individual litigators’ professional activities as well as client feedback surveys and one-on-one interviews, and has culminated in the selection of the most distinguished women in the world of litigation. These women have earned their place amongst the leading women litigators by participating in some of the most impactful litigation matters in recent history as well as by earning the hard-won respect of their peers and clients. Though they hail from widely different practice areas, they all share the distinction of being recognized as top players in their respective fields.
DOW JONES Private Equity Analyst “Most Active Law Firms”
A quantitative listing of law firms in the Private Equity space based on number of deals completed in a given year and number of funds that had final close in a given year.
InsiderNJ: New Jersey’s Irish American Leaders
Insider NJ’s annual tribute to St. Patrick’s Day is celebrates and acknowledges the accomplishments and contributions of New Jersey’s Irish Americans statewide.
Irish Education 100
This list recognizes the leaders of educational institutions and related professionals throughout the United States who are of Irish descent.
New Jersey Law Journal: Top Women in Law
For its annual Women in the Law Awards, New Jersey Law Journal seeks suggestions from readers on women attorneys “from anywhere in New Jersey, who work in law firms, government agencies, public interest organizations or anywhere else lawyers may find themselves employed,” and also considers candidates discussed among its editorial staff. Criteria include the candidate’s impact on the legal community over the prior year or other notable work; the publication evaluates “specific examples of the candidate’s recent contributions to the legal community, whether it’s settling a big case, leading a department through a difficult stretch, producing innovative ideas or making an impact in some other way.”
New Jersey Monthly: Leading Women Entrepreneurs
The “Leading Women Entrepreneurs” list comprises select, accomplished women who reside and own or co-own successful businesses in New Jersey. Their recognition was based on various key criteria, including innovation, market potential, community involvement, and advocacy for women.
NJBIZ: Forty Under 40
The NJBIZ Forty Under 40 program recognizes 40 business men and women under the age of 40 for their notable successes and demonstrations of strong leadership in the state. Chosen by an independent panel of judges following an open nomination process, the individuals recognized on this year’s list contribute to their own industries – spanning health care, finance, sports, law, education and more – as well as to the New Jersey community at large.
NJBIZ: New Jersey’s Top Fifty Women in Business
This program recognizes 50 women who have made a significant impact on New Jersey business and the community at large. After an open nomination process, a panel of independent judges selected this year’s honorees using a points system to evaluate submissions.