American Bar Association Medal

The American Bar Association Medal (or ABA Medal) is the highest award given by the American Bar Association for "exceptionally distinguished service by a lawyer or lawyers to the cause of American jurisprudence."^[1] The ABA Board of Governors chooses the medal's recipient. The medal was authorized at the 50th anniversary meeting of the ABA in 1928.^[2] The first medal was given in 1929 and it has been given most, but not all, years since.

The medal itself was designed by Laura Gardin Fraser.^[3] On the obverse is a profile of John Marshall with the inscription "To the end it may be a government of laws and not of men," from the Constitution of Massachusetts. On the reverse is "Justitia" with a likeness of Lady Justice.^[2] It is four inches in diameter, the medal was originally crafted in 24-karat gold, later reduced to 14-karat gold.

List of recipients

Source: "Recipients of the American Bar Association Medal" at the American Bar Association website

References

^ "Lawrence Fox Receives the ABA Medal, the American Bar Association's Highest Honor". The Journal. 2021-08-03. Retrieved 2025-06-02.
^ ^a ^b "The American Bar Association Medal". ABA Journal. 39: 697–700. August 1953.
^ "James Earle and Laura Gardin Fraser Papers". Syracuse University Library. Retrieved 2016-01-02.

[1] "Lawrence Fox Receives the ABA Medal, the American Bar Association's Highest Honor". The Journal. 2021-08-03. Retrieved 2025-06-02.

[ABA_medal-2] "The American Bar Association Medal". ABA Journal. 39: 697–700. August 1953.

[3] "James Earle and Laura Gardin Fraser Papers". Syracuse University Library. Retrieved 2016-01-02.

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