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The goal of the Daily Report and its parent company, ALM, is to serve the entire legal community. As part of that, we're adding new wrinkles to our annual Professional Excellence Awards to make sure we get a chance to highlight the great work and achievements across the full breadth of the Georgia legal community.

The changes will create level playing fields among litigation groups vying for awards and more opportunities for lawyers from midsize and small firms to be recognized.

ALM will produce a national awards event in which big firms—those with 200 or more lawyers anywhere in the country—will compete against their peers for litigation departments of the year honors. Details about those awards will be announced soon.

At the local level, the Daily Report will recognize litigation teams from midsize and small firms, and lawyers from any-sized organization will be considered for Attorney of the Year, On the Rise and Lifetime Achievement.

Listed below are the Professional Excellence contests held for the Daily Report. The winners will be recognized in the newspaper, online and at an event in the late spring or summer.

• Litigation Teams of the Year (Midsize: Georgia-based firms with 50 to 199 lawyers), for these categories: General, Insurance, IP, Labor, Products Liability, Specialty Practice, Personal Injury, White Collar and Appellate.

• Litigation Teams of the Year (Small: Georgia-based firms with 1 to 49 lawyers), for these categories: General, Insurance, IP, Labor, Products Liability, Specialty Practice, Personal Injury, White Collar and Appellate.

CLICK HERE to download instructions for Litigation Team of the Year Midsize and Small Firms.

The following categories for Daily Report Professional Excellence awards are open to lawyers from all sizes of firms and organizations:

• Attorney of the Year: This award goes to the lawyer who in 2017 had the biggest impact on the law or the Georgia legal community or did the most to advance the cause of justice. (To be sure, some of this work may have originated before 2017 and/or extended into 2018.) If you think someone deserves this recognition, please send an email essay, with the subject line “Daily Report Attorney of the Year,” of up to 500 words to [email protected] by 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 12.

• Lifetime Achievement Awards: Please tell us in up to 500 words about anyone living who has left a lasting imprint on the legal community of Georgia. Nominations should be sent to [email protected], with the subject line “Daily Report Lifetime Achievement Awards,” by 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 12. Please include a high-resolution color photo of the nominee, at least 200 dpi.

• On the Rise: please tell us, in up to 500 words, about lawyers under the age of 40 who have wielded influence in their practice areas in Georgia and beyond. They should be innovators, developing unique practice niches, amassing robust books of business, demonstrating strong leadership qualities, showing expertise in litigation, in-house or transactional work and committing themselves to pro bono, charitable and professional volunteer work. Nominees must have been born after June 1, 1978, to be eligible. Nominations should be sent to [email protected], with the subject line “Daily Report On the Rise,” by 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 12. Please include a high-resolution color photo of the nominee, at least 200 dpi.

The following categories for Daily Report Professional Excellence awards are open to lawyers from all sizes of in-house departments:

• In-House Department of the Year: We're looking for legal departments that in 2017 excelled in any or all of these areas: litigation; transactions; outside counsel management; pro bono and community service; diversity and quality of life; technology and information systems; and corporate compliance. CLICK HERE to download the form with specific information for In-House Department of the Year. Please submit all materials via email to [email protected] with the subject line, “Daily Report In-House,” 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 12.

• In-House Impact: This recognizes an in-house lawyer who had a significant accomplishment in 2017. Please send up to 500 words about this person in an email to [email protected] with the subject line, “Daily Report In-House Impact,” by 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 12.

The following categories for Daily Report Professional Excellence awards are open to lawyers only from midsize and small firms and organizations (199 lawyers and under):

• Distinguished Leaders: These recognize lawyers who achieved impressive results in 2017 and demonstrated clear leadership skills that helped them achieve those results. Examples include—but are not limited to—winning a big case, helping a firm grow, managing a big deal or getting a key piece of legislation passed (or defeated). Please send up to 500 words about this person in an email to [email protected] with the subject line, “Daily Report Distinguished Leaders,” by 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 12.

• Best Mentors: This is a new category, designed to recognize lawyers who have helped less-experienced colleagues become better lawyers. The relationship between mentors and mentees need not be formal. Please tell us in up to 500 words about anyone who meets this (deliberately vague) criterion. Nominations should be sent to [email protected], with the subject line “Daily Report Best Mentors,” by 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 12. Please include a high-resolution color photo of the nominee, at least 200 dpi.

• Best Social Mediators: These aren't necessarily the lawyers with the most Twitter followers or the most active LinkedIn account. But these honorees will likely have strong followings because their social media educates and, responsibly, entertains lawyers about the practice and the community. Please tell us in up to 500 words about anyone who fits this description—making sure to include a link to the nominee's social media address. Nominations should be sent to [email protected], with the subject line “Daily Report Best Social Mediators,” by 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 12. Please include a high-resolution color photo of the nominee, at least 200 dpi.

• Most-Effective Deal-makers: Again, quantity or dollar volume are not the only criteria. These deal-makers get repeat business for how they achieve their clients' goals so that both sides sign on the dotted lines. Please tell us in up to 500 words about anyone who fits this description, using examples from 2017. Nominations should be sent to [email protected], with the subject line “Daily Report Most-Effective Deal-makers,” by 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 12. Please include a high-resolution color photo of the nominee, at least 200 dpi.

• Unsung heroes: They weren't the lead lawyers on the matter, but you could not have won the case, done the deal or finished the project without them. Please tell us in up to 500 words about anyone who fits this description, using examples of what they did during 2017. Nominations should be sent to [email protected], with the subject line “Daily Report Unsung Heroes,” by 5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 12. Please include a high-resolution color photo of the nominee, at least 200 dpi.