The Young Lawyers Division Awards Committee is now accepting nominations for the 2025 YLD Awards. Nominations are open to the public. The deadline to submit a nomination is Feb. 28.
To be eligible for an award, nominees must be members of the New Jersey State Bar Association and young lawyers as of the end of the NJSBA Annual Meeting and Convention in the year the award will be given. A young lawyer is any attorney who has been engaged in the practice of law for 10 years or less or who is under the age of 36, as of this bar year.
To nominate yourself or a fellow young lawyer, please fill out the form. The YLD will announce the award recipients at its March meeting and present the awards at the NJSBA Annual Meeting and Convention on May 14-16.
Here are the award categories for 2025:
Service to the Community
Young lawyers who have devoted substantial time and energy to community-oriented activities such as pro bono work, government service, charity involvement, or other public service over the past year are candidates for the Service to the Community award. Young lawyers who are in paid public service positions are not eligible for this award unless they are doing something in addition to the job that they get paid for.
Service to the Bar
Nominees for the Service to the Bar category should be young lawyers who dedicated considerable volunteer time to bar activities at the county, state, and/or national level, including specialty and affinity bars, over the past year.
Professional Achievement
The Professional Achievement award acknowledges a young lawyer with significant professional accomplishments during the past year. This can include publications, demonstrated excellence in a particular area of law, a significant verdict or law-changing appellate or Supreme Court decision, or other such professional achievement.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging
This Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Award recognizes and acknowledges any active member of the YLD that has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to the advancement of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the legal profession. Involvement in the community, the bar association, affinity bar association(s), and/or any personal or professional achievement that serves to promote the initiatives of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging will be considered. Any active member of the YLD is eligible for this award.
Young Lawyer of the Year
The Young Lawyer of the Year award is presented to a young lawyer whose combined personal and professional achievements over the past year merit special recognition, and who has additionally made significant community and public service contributions, has actively participated in the organized bar, and has stood out in the areas of professional knowledge, skill, integrity, and courtesy.