The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or tax advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by reading this content. Laws and regulations vary by jurisdiction and change frequently; always consult with a qualified professional regarding your specific situation. The author and publisher assume no liability for any actions taken based on this information.
- The award program is run by an ABA section rather than a government agency
- The section describes the award as recognizing accomplishments in environmental law and policy
- The awards page also lists other awards that can look similar by name
- Conference news releases can show how the award is announced and presented
- The section awards page includes time sensitive nomination information
- Federal environmental law topics may be part of award related programming
- Sources
Key Facts
- Federal and state: The American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources publishes information about its section awards program.
- Federal and state: The section lists the Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law and Policy as one of its awards.
- Federal and state: The same section awards program also lists other awards, including a lifetime achievement award and a government attorney award.
- Federal and state: The section maintains an online page that highlights recent recipients of its awards.
- Federal and state: An ABA news release about the section’s 30th Fall Conference states that the 2022 Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law and Policy award went to the Acequia Assistance Project.
- Federal and state: That same ABA news release states that two section awards were presented during a conference luncheon and additional awards were presented in a later virtual ceremony.
- Federal level: The ABA news release also notes that 2022 coincided with 50th anniversaries of several federal environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act.
- Federal and state: The ABA describes itself in the same news release as the largest voluntary association of lawyers in the world.
As of February 2026, award descriptions and nomination dates shown on official websites can change over time.
The award program is run by an ABA section rather than a government agency
The Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law and Policy Award is presented as part of the awards program of the American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources. In an ABA news release about a section conference, the ABA describes itself as a voluntary association, which helps clarify that this award is a professional recognition rather than a government-issued license or court decision.
The section describes the award as recognizing accomplishments in environmental law and policy
On its section awards page, the ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources describes its awards as recognizing significant accomplishments in the environment, energy, and natural resources legal area. The page lists the Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law and Policy Award among the awards in that program.
The awards page also lists other awards that can look similar by name
Readers sometimes see multiple awards listed together and assume they are the same honor. The section awards page lists several distinct awards in the same program, including awards for lifetime achievement and government attorneys, which can make the titles easy to mix up at a glance.
Conference news releases can show how the award is announced and presented
One example appears in an ABA news release about the section’s 30th Fall Conference in 2022, which names several award honorees and states when the awards were presented in connection with the conference. That same news release states that the 2022 Distinguished Achievement in Environmental Law and Policy award went to the Acequia Assistance Project.
The section awards page includes time sensitive nomination information
The ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources awards page lists a nomination deadline of May 31, 2026 for the section’s 2026 annual awards program.
Federal environmental law topics may be part of award related programming
Environmental law and policy often connect to major federal statutes and regulatory programs that lawyers work with in practice. In the ABA’s 2022 conference news release, the section highlights anniversaries of several federal environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act, as part of the conference context.
