The William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence is one of our nation’s highest judicial honors. The William H. Rehnquist Award honors judges who are taking bold steps to address a variety of issues affecting their communities.
"His dedication to duty was an inspiration to me, and I know to many others. [Rehnquist] reinforced my view that a certain humility should characterize the judicial role. Judges and justices are servants of the law, not the other way around."
— Chief Justice of the United States John G. Roberts, Jr.
Candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Actively holds a judicial office other than sitting chief justice
- Has significant experience serving state courts
- Demonstrates promotion and implementation of innovation in the management of state courts
- Provides leadership at the national and/or state level to improve state systems of justice
The following information must accompany each nomination:
- One nomination letter highlighting no more than five major accomplishments of the nominee
- A brief resume for the nominee
- Two letters of reference from individuals who have worked closely with the nominee and have direct knowledge of the major accomplishments
- Nomination materials are strictly limited to a total count of ten pages
Selection process
The Governance and Nominations Committee of the NCSC Board of Directors serves as the selection committee for this award with the advice and consent of the Chief Justice of the United States. A 2025 award winner is anticipated to be selected by September 30.
Nomination process
Please submit 2025 nominations by Monday, June 16, to: NCSC Corporate Secretary, National Center for State Courts, 300 Newport Avenue, Williamsburg, VA 23185-4147; (757) 259-1856, NCSCCorpSecretary@ncsc.org.
- 2024 - Judge Julie Kocurek (Texas)
- 2023 - Judge James E. Doyle, IV (Nebraska)
- 2022 - Judge Nan G. Waller (Oregon)
- 2021 - Judge Scott Schlegel (Louisiana)
- 2020 - Judge Emily Miskel (Texas)
See the complete list of recipients.