2023 Stephen H. Philbin, II Award Recipients for Excellence in Legal Reporting
Discover the outstanding journalists awarded the 2023 Stephen H. Philbin II Award for Excellence in Legal Reporting. Unveiling the best in t
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Stephen H. Philbin, II Award
The Stephen H. Philbin, II Awards were created in 1983 to honor the memory of Stephen H. Philbin, II a long-time member of the Dallas Bar Association and a partner with the firm of Locke, Purnell, Boren, Laney & Neely. Stephen H. Philbin, II died in 1982 from leukemia. At the time of his death, Mr. Philbin was a leading authority on media law in Texas. He advised major publications and broadcast companies on libel law, regulations and licensing of broadcast properties, and fair comment rulings. He was a graduate of Harvard Law School, and received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Yale University.
In honor of Mr. Philbin’s contributions to media law in Dallas, the Philbin and Brock Families have funded the Philbin Awards, and the Dallas Bar Association and Dallas Bar Foundation have presented the awards annually since 1983.
1 / Entries for the Stephen H. Philbin, II Award must cover some aspect of the legal system or its participants and should contribute to the public's understanding of the legal system.
2 / A panel of judges evaluates submissions for informational and educational value, creativity, thoroughness, accuracy, clarity, interest, contribution to public debate, and the journalist's resourcefulness, courage, and initiative in pursuing the story.
3 / Each entry must be accompanied by the Stephen H. Philbin, II Awards Entry Form, which must be filled out completely and accurately, as well as a summary. We welcome the submission of entries by non-English language media; to facilitate judging, such entries must be translated into English.
4 / No single reporter may submit more than two entries.
5 / All entries (whether emailed, mailed, or hand-delivered), must include a PDF of tearsheet/printed article/or link to video/podcast to show publication date, as well as a Word document or PDF of the text (font must be large enough to be easily read on 8 1⁄2 x 11 paper), summary, and entry form.
6 / All entries must have actually been published/aired during the eligible time period, and bear the publication’s name or
website’s URL.
About Stephen H. Philbin, II
The Stephen H. Philbin, II Awards, established in 1983, commemorate the legacy of Stephen H. Philbin, II a distinguished member of the Dallas Bar Association and a partner at Locke Purnell Boren Laney & Neely. Stephen, who passed away in 1982 due to leukemia, was a prominent figure in Texas media law. He provided counsel to The Dallas Morning News and other A.H. Belo Corporation-owned publications and broadcast companies on matters such as libel law, broadcasting regulations, licensing, and fair comment rulings. Stephen held a law degree from Harvard University School of Law and earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Yale University. To honor his significant contributions, an anonymous donor, acting through the Dallas Bar Foundation, sponsors the Stephen H. Philbin, II Awards, recognizing outstanding achievements in legal reporting. Since 1983, the Dallas Bar Association has annually presented these awards.
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