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The award program was dicontinued in 2021

In 2001, the Louisiana State Bar Association instituted the Crystal Gavel Awards, designed to recognize outstanding lawyers and judges who have been unsung heroes and heroines in their communities. The award program was updated in 2014 and renamed the Citizen Lawyer Awards.

Citizen Lawyer Awards were presented to lawyers and judges who served the public in a number of areas, including:

Award Criteria

• performed services in any of the listed categories out of a sense of duty, responsibility, and professionalism; and
• made a difference in their local communities, in local organizations, or even in the life of one person.

• aided the administration of justice;
• assisted groups or individuals on a volunteer basis in a non-legal capacity;
• educated the public or individuals or students about legal matters;
• provided pro bono legal services in a matter of a significant nature or in a significant numbers of cases; and
• provided pro bono legal services in a way that significantly changed the life of one person or group.

Awards were presented in local communities throughout the state. There was no limit to the number of awards presented, as the LSBA sought to recognize all deserving individuals.


Leah Hipple McKay Memorial Award

The award program was dicontinued in 2021


The Louisiana State Bar Association's (LSBA) Leah Hipple McKay Memorial Award for Outstanding Volunteerism was the premier award of the LSBA's Citizen Lawyer Awards program. The award is named in honor of the late Leah Hipple McKay, a member of the LSBA and a deeply committed volunteer. The award was presented to a Louisiana lawyer or judge that made significant long-term volunteer contributions.

Click here to view the LSBA Board of Governors approval.