This award of $150,000 is made in honor of the late Honorable Emil Gumpert, Chancellor-Founder of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Judge Gumpert, throughout his more than half-century professional career as an eminent trial lawyer, State Bar president and trial judge, substantially and effectively devoted himself to the administration of justice and to the improvement of trial practice.

The award recognizes programs, public or private, whose principal purpose is to maintain and improve the administration of justice. The programs considered may be associated with courts, law schools, bar associations or any other organization that provides such a program.

Potential candidates may apply directly for the award by submitting the Application form found below to the American College of Trial Lawyers. Candidates may also be nominated by Fellows of the American College of Trial Lawyers including State and Province Committees, and by bar associations, law schools, or any person who wishes to propose a candidate for consideration.

In addition to looking for programs that are compatible with the basic mission statement, the Emil Gumpert Award Committee pays particular attention to the following factors in evaluating applications:

• Is the program new and innovative?
• Precisely how will the award money be spent by the applicant?
• Will the applicant accomplish its intended project or goal without the award money?
• Can the applicant's project serve as a model for wider application?

The Committee generally does not favor applications that:

• seek funds for general operating expenses
• support existing programs
• add new employees who perform the pre-existing work of the applicant

Past winners, described in more detail below, all sought funding for new, well-defined programs that, if successful, could be replicated elsewhere.