Champion of Justice Awards are bestowed upon those individuals who -- through legislative, journalistic or humanitarian pursuits -- have staunchly preserved or defended the constitutional rights of individuals in the United States and have endeavored to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime.
Where available, click on a recipient's name to watch his or her acceptance remarks.
Award Categories
Legislative Award
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| 2010 |
Sen. Rodney Ellis |
(TX Legislature) |
| 2009 |
Rep. Gail Chasey |
(NM Legislature) |
| 2008 |
Rep. John D. Conyers, Jr. |
(D-MI) |
| 2008 |
Sen. Arlen Specter |
(R-PA) |
| 2005 |
Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott |
(D-VA) |
| 2003 |
Rep. William Delahunt |
(D-MA) |
| 1999 |
State Sen. Ernie Chambers |
(NE Legislature) |
| 1999 |
Rep. Barney Frank |
(D-MA) |
| 1998 |
Rep. Joseph M. McDade |
(R-PA) |
| 1996 |
Maury Maverick, Jr. |
(TX Legislature) |
| 1996 |
U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield |
(R-OR) |
| 1996 |
U.S. Senator Paul Simon |
(D-IL) |
| 1996 |
Rep. Patricia Schroeder |
(D-CO) |
| 1995 |
Rep. John C. Conyers |
(D-MI) |
| 1994 |
Rep. Don Edwards |
(D-CA) |
| 1992 |
Rep. Harley Staggers |
(D-WV) |
Legal Award
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| 2022 |
JaneAnne Murray |
Minneapolis, MN |
| 2022 |
Michael Ware |
Fort Worth, TX |
| 2021 |
Nkechi Taifa |
Washington, DC |
| 2021 |
Office of the Colorado State Public Defender |
Denver, CO |
| 2020 |
Justin Brooks |
San Diego, CA |
| 2019 |
Capital Habeas Corpus Unit (CHU) |
Philadelphia, PA |
| 2019 |
MartÃn A. Sabelli |
San Francisco, CA |
| 2018 |
Christopher Wellborn |
Rock Hill, SC |
| 2018 |
Malika Saada Saar |
Washington, DC |
| 2017 |
Cynthia W. Roseberry |
Washington, DC |
| 2017 |
Jerome F. Buting |
Brookfield, WI |
| 2014 |
Rick Jones |
New York, NY |
| 2012 |
Anthony Romero |
New York, NY |
| 2012 |
Gerald Kogan |
Tallahassee, FL |
| 2010 |
George P. Parker, Jr. |
San Antonio, TX |
| 2008 |
Terence F. MacCarthy |
Chicago, IL |
| 2000 |
Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr. |
Montgomery, AL |
| 1999 |
Arthur Kinoy |
Montclair, NJ |
| 1999 |
Gareth Peirce |
London, England |
| 1999 |
Allen Chipperfield |
Jacksonville, FL |
| 1998 |
Beth Krulewitch |
Denver, CO |
| 1998 |
Judge Stephen Reinhardt |
Los Angeles, CA |
| 1994 |
Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. |
Washington, DC |
Civic / Humanitarian Award
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| 2019 |
John Flynn |
Wilmington, DE |
| 2019 |
Stevie Wonder |
Los Angeles, CA |
| 2018 |
Michelle Alexander |
New York, NY |
| 2010 |
Meagan M. Gillette |
San Antonio, TX |
| 2010 |
Leslie Sara Hyman |
San Antonio, TX |
| 2007 |
Mike Farrell |
San Francisco, CA |
| 2006 |
Janet Reno |
Miami, FL |
| 2005 |
Wilbert Rideau |
Baton Rouge, LA |
| 2005 |
George H. Kendall |
New York, NY |
| 2004 |
Élise Groulx-Diggs |
Montreal, Canada |
| 2003 |
Bob Balaban |
New York, NY |
| 2003 |
Alan Buchman |
New York, NY |
| 2003 |
Erik Jensen |
New York, NY |
| 2003 |
Jessica Blank |
New York, NY |
| 2003 |
President Vicente Fox Quesada |
Mexico |
| 2002 |
James S. Liebman |
New York, NY |
| 2002 |
Gov. George Ryan |
Illinois |
| 2001 |
Julie Stewart |
Washington, DC |
| 2000 |
Bianca Jagger |
New York, NY |
| 2000 |
Susan McDougal |
Little Rock, AR |
| 2000 |
Professor Speedy Rice |
Spokane, WA |
| 2000 |
United Colors of Benetton |
Italy |
| 2000 |
Oliviero Toscani |
Italy |
| 2000 |
Ken Shulman |
Boston, MA |
| 1999 |
Harry T. Moore |
Mims, FL |
| 1999 |
Melba Pattillo Beals |
San Francisco, CA |
| 1998 |
Frederic Whitehurst |
La Plata, MD |
| 1997 |
Professor Julian Bond |
Washington, DC |
| 1997 |
Bud Welch |
Oklahoma City, OK |
| 1994 |
Sister Helen Prejean |
New Orleans, LA |
Journalism Award
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| 2021 |
Carrie Johnson |
National Public Radio |
| 2017 |
The Marshall Project, Neil Barsky, Founder |
The Marshall Project |
| 2016 |
Radley Balko |
Various |
| 2009 |
Juju Chang |
20/20 |
| 2009 |
Shana Druckerman |
20/20 |
| 2009 |
Robin Demonia |
Birmingham News |
| 2009 |
Bob Blalock |
Birmingham News |
| 2009 |
Eddie Lard |
Birmingham News |
| 2009 |
Joey Kennedy |
Birmingham News |
| 2005 |
Flynn McRoberts |
Chicago Tribune |
| 2005 |
Steve Mills |
Chicago Tribune |
| 2005 |
Maurice Possley |
Chicago Tribune |
| 2001 |
Max B. Baker |
Forth Worth Star Telegram |
| 2000 |
Ofra Bikel |
PBS Frontline |
| 1999 |
Ken Armstrong |
Chicago Tribune |
| 1999 |
Maurice Possley |
Chicago Tribune |
| 1999 |
Bill Moushey |
Pittsburgh Post Gazette |
| 1998 |
Kirk Makin |
Toronto Globe & Mail |
| 1998 |
Andrew Schneider |
Seattle Post-Intelligencer |
| 1998 |
Mike Barber |
Seattle Post-Intelligencer |
| 1998 |
Henry Weinstein |
LA Times |
| 1997 |
Dorothy Rabinowitz |
The Wall Street Journal |
| 1997 |
Bob Herbert |
The New York Times |
| 1997 |
Anthony Lewis |
Author, Gideon's Trumpet |
| 1997 |
David Protess |
Journalism Professor, NWU |
| 1996 |
Molly Ivins |
Fort Worth Star-Telegram |
| 1995 |
Mark Curriden |
The Chattanooga Times |
| 1995 |
Dennis Cauchon |
USA Today |
| 1995 |
Sam Meddis |
USA Today |
| 1993 |
Steve Berry |
The Orlando Sentinel |
| 1993 |
Jeff Brazil |
The Orlando Sentinel |
| 1992 |
Mary Pat Flaherty |
The Pittsburgh Press |
| 1992 |
Andrew Schneider |
The Pittsburgh Press |
| 1992 |
Frank Devine |
CBS News, 60 Minutes |
| 1992 |
Steve Kroft |
CBS News, 60 Minutes |
| 1992 |
Harry Radliffe |
CBS News, 60 Minutes |
Philanthropy Award
| 2021 |
Jason Flom |
New York, NY |
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Legal Education Award
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| 2011 |
Deryl Dantzler |
Macon, GA |
Rights Restoration Award
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| 2019 |
Mary Price |
Washington, DC |
| 2018 |
Gov. Nathan Deal |
Atlanta, GA |
| 2018 |
Sally Q. Yates |
Atlanta, GA |
Pro Bono Award
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Community Advocacy Award
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| 2022 |
Jason Hernandez |
McKinney TX |
| 2020 |
Alice Marie Johnson |
Chandler, AZ |
