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.

Application for the 2025 Emil Gumpert Award 

Applications for the 2025 Emil Gumpert Award are due September 13, 2024.

Winners of the Emil Gumpert Award

2024
Early Eviction Mediation Program
The Mediation Center of the Pacific, Inc.
Honolulu, Hawaii


2023
Second Chance At Life Initiative
Innocence Project New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana


2022
First Step Expungement Program
Clean Slate Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah


2021
Sentencing Fairness Program
Arizona Justice Project
Phoenix, Arizona


2020
Women's Prison Project
Tulane University
New Orleans, Louisiana

2019

Indigenous Human Rights Program

Pro Bono Students Canada
Toronto, Ontario



2018

Expanding and Enhancing Remote Access to Counsel for Detained Asylum-Seekers with Children

Fordham Law School Feerick Center for Social Justice (New York, New York) and Dilley Pro Bono Project (Dilley, Texas)

2017

Immigrant Post-Conviction Relief Project at Immigrant Legal Resource Center

San Francisco, California



View a list of past winners

2016

Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic at Loyola Law School

Los Angeles, California

2015

Extra Judicial Measures Pilot Project of Peacebuilders International

Toronto, Ontario

 

2014

Human Trafficking Courts Project of New York's Urban Justice Center

New York, New York

 

2013

Miller Resentencing Project of the Florida State University College of Law Children in Prison Project

Tallahassee, Florida

 

2012

Florence Immigrant & Refugee Rights Project

Florence, Arizona

 

2011
Southern Public Defender Training Center

Atlanta, Georgia

2010
Older & Wiser

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

2009
Pro Bono Law Ontario

Ontario, Canada

2008
“And Justice For All”

Salt Lake City, Utah

2007
The National Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children

Washington, District of Columbia

2006
Legal Aid University

Boston, Massachusetts

2005
Dakota Plains Legal Services

Mission, South Dakota