Nominations are now open for the Alli Gerkman Legal Visionary Award, which recognizes an innovator who has made significant impacts early in their career toward making the American legal system work better for everyone.

That describes the person for whom the award is named, Alli Gerkman, who died of breast cancer in 2019 at the way-too-young age of 41. Alli had been a lawyer and senior director of the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System at the University of Denver, and it is that institute that created this award in her honor. 

The award is designed to encourage and showcase innovators, risk takers, visionaries, and emerging leaders who bring a different perspective and a reform-minded approach to the improvement of our legal system, IAALS says. Candidates should be early in their legal careers to be eligible, roughly the first 15 years.

Nominations are now open through Nov. 1. Nominations may be made by others, but self-nominations are also accepted.

Full guidelines and the nomination form can be found at the award’s website.

Photo of Bob Ambrogi Bob Ambrogi

Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.