Awards & Recognition
Acknowledging Excellence in the Legal Community
Each year the Illinois Bar Foundation acknowledges the outstanding achievements and contributions of attorneys in the Illinois legal community. Awards celebrate leaders in the legal profession for their commitment to public service, legal and charitable achievements, and contributions to law and society.
IBF Award Recipients
Distinguished Award for Excellence
Each year at the Illinois Bar Foundation’s annual Gala, one recipient is awarded our highest honor, the Distinguished Award of Excellence. The award is given to an individual whose career and personal life exemplify their ongoing commitment to the law and legal community.
2022 Recipient
Tim Eaton
The 2022 Gala will honor Tim Eaton (Taft, Stettinius & Hollister LLP) with the Distinguished Award for Excellence. Tim’s (or Mr. Eaton’s) esteemed career in commercial and appellate litigation has been matched only by his many contributions to the Chicago and Illinois legal community. Most recently, Tim was named Chicago Lawyer magazine’s “2020 Person of the Year” and was selected to chair the Court Operations During COVID-19 Task Force. An active member of local and national bar associations, he is a Past President of the Chicago Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, and the Appellate Lawyers Association of Illinois.
View Past Recipients
2020 Gala-Palooza Awards
In 2020, the traditional Illinois Bar Foundation Gala was reimagined as a virtual “Gala-Palooza”, featuring a magic show, virtual Lawyers Rock performances, and awards for some of the brightest names in our community.
View 2020 Award Recipients
Distinguished Service to Law & Society Award
The Illinois Bar Foundation selects individuals each year to receive the Distinguished Service to Law & Society Award, presented at our annual Champions Breakfast (formerly known as the Fellows Breakfast). Honorees are selected because of their significant contributions to law and society, including dedicated service through the Illinois Bar Foundation and its Champions.
View All Honorees
Honorary Champion Award Recipients
Each year at the Champions Breakfast (formerly known as the Fellows Breakfast), the Illinois Bar Foundation selects at least one individual to be acknowledged as an Honorary Champion. Recipients are attorneys of distinction whose professional and public careers set an example to which others aspire.
View All Honorees
Champions Reception Honorees
The Illinois Bar Foundation is proud to host periodic Champions Receptions, honoring attorneys around the state who embody the mission of the Illinois Bar Foundation through their leadership and dedication to the legal community.
View All Honorees
Legal Luminaries
In partnership with the Illinois Judges Foundation, the Illinois Bar Foundation presented the first-ever Legal Luminary Awards in 2019, honoring exemplary individuals from the bench and bar for their career-long dedication to advancing the profession and their many contributions to the legal community.
View All Legal Luminaries
We are proud to have served approximately 52,000 individuals throughout Illinois this year through our access to justice and lawyers care programs and hope to serve many more with your continued support. Donate today to help your neighbors throughout Illinois receive assistance for basic needs such as housing, safety, education and accessibility to legal resources this holiday season.
Your gift helps provide funding for organizations across the state working with vulnerable populations, to ensure they receive the legal support and resources they so desperately need, and to support attorneys and their families during times of crisis.