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.
- Older award announcements can be hard to use as the final record
- The ABA describes the Silver Gavel Awards as a public education honor
- The ABA archive is the most direct place to confirm a specific year
- The ABA describes a multi stage review process for choosing winners
- Why lists from different webpages may not match word for word
- What an award announcement does and does not mean in legal terms
- Sources
Key Facts
- Federal and state: The American Bar Association describes the Silver Gavel Awards as recognizing outstanding work that fosters the public’s understanding of law and the legal system.
- Federal and state: The American Bar Association describes the Silver Gavel as its highest honor for this public education purpose.
- Federal and state: The American Bar Association states that Silver Gavel winners are selected through a judging process held each year.
- Federal and state: The American Bar Association states that entries are first reviewed by an approximately 50-person screening committee.
- Federal and state: The American Bar Association states that screeners include lawyers, judges, journalists, scholars, and other volunteers.
- Federal and state: The American Bar Association states that its Standing Committee on Gavel Awards is composed of presidentially appointed ABA members.
- Federal and state: The American Bar Association states that the Standing Committee convenes annually to evaluate entries and select winners.
- Federal and state: The American Bar Association maintains an online archive of past Silver Gavel Award winners that includes years going back to 1958.
As of February 2026, the information below reflects how the American Bar Association described the Silver Gavel Awards program and its archives on publicly available webpages, and those details may change over time.
Older award announcements can be hard to use as the final record
People often search for the 2013 Silver Gavel Award winners after seeing an older announcement page or a reposted list, but those pages may not be the most stable place to confirm a year’s official honorees.
The ABA describes the Silver Gavel Awards as a public education honor
On its Silver Gavel program pages, the American Bar Association explains that these awards recognize outstanding work in media and the arts that helps the public better understand law and the legal system.
The ABA archive is the most direct place to confirm a specific year
The ABA maintains an official year-by-year archive on its Past Silver Gavel Award winners page, which is designed to serve as a reference point for past recipients, including the 2013 Silver Gavel Award winners.
The ABA describes a multi stage review process for choosing winners
According to the ABA’s description of its process, entries receive an initial review by an approximately 50-person screening committee made up of volunteers from a range of backgrounds, including lawyers, judges, journalists, and scholars.
Separately, the ABA states that the Standing Committee on Gavel Awards is composed of presidentially appointed ABA members who convene annually to evaluate entries and select winners, and the ABA describes conflict rules intended to prevent committee members from judging entries in which they have personal, professional, or financial involvement.
Why lists from different webpages may not match word for word
Differences across webpages often come from formatting changes, later corrections, incomplete reposts, or broken links, which can make an older announcement less useful than a maintained archive when the goal is confirming the official list for a particular year.
What an award announcement does and does not mean in legal terms
A media and arts award announcement is not a court decision, a statute, or an agency determination, so it generally does not create legal rights or change legal obligations by itself, even though the honored work may cover legal topics.
