Awards & Recognition

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.

2021 Recipient

Tim Eaton

The 2021 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.

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 Fellows Breakfast. Honorees are selected because of their significant contributions to law and society, including dedicated service through the Illinois Bar Foundation and its Fellows.

Fellows Reception Honorees

The Illinois Bar Foundation is proud to host periodic Fellows Receptions, honoring attorneys around the state who embody the mission of the Illinois Bar Foundation through their leadership and dedication to the legal community.