Our awards & recognitions

The William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence is one of our nation's highest judicial honors.

Presented annually, this prestigious award honors a state court judge who demonstrates the outstanding qualities of judicial excellence, including integrity, fairness, open-mindedness, knowledge of the law, professional ethics, creativity, sound judgment, intellectual courage, and decisiveness. The award recognizes judges who are taking bold steps to address various 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 setting forth no more than five major accomplishments of the nominee
• A brief resume for the candidate
• 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 10 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 expected to be selected by Sept. 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.

Award recipients

2024: Judge Julie Kocurek (Texas)

See the complete list of award recipients.

The Warren E. Burger Award honors the late Chief Justice of the United States, who was instrumental in founding NCSC and its Institute for Court Management. Chief Justice Burger was a staunch supporter of improving judicial administration through leadership and service to state courts.

The Burger Award recognizes an individual, other than a sitting judge, whose service, over a career or substantial period of time, has significantly contributed to improving the administration of the state courts. 

Service may be at the local, state, or national level.

This prestigious award honors a person who demonstrates professional expertise, leadership, integrity, creativity, innovativeness, and sound judgment.

Nominees must meet the following criteria:

• Be active in work devoted to improving state courts, or recently retired;
• Have significant experience serving or assisting state or local courts; and
• Have provided leadership at the state or national level to improve state court systems.

The following information must accompany each nomination:

• Letter of nomination setting forth no more than three major accomplishments of the nominee;
• A resume for the nominee; and
• Two letters of reference from individuals with direct knowledge of the nominee's accomplishments; letters may include multiple signatories.
• Nomination materials are limited to 10 pages per nominee.

Nominations

Nominations are solicited from members of the NCSC Board of Directors, its advisory committees, and associations for which NCSC serves as secretariat. Any person interested in improving the operation of state courts may submit a nomination. The nomination period for the 2024 award has ended.

The selection committee

The Governance and Nominations Committee of the NCSC Board of Directors serves as the selection committee for this award. The committee may consider nominations on its own motion. Nominations are solicited annually. The award is presented at a time and location mutually agreeable to the recipient and NCSC.

Award recipients

2023: Retired Maryland State Court Administrator Pamela Q. Harris

See the complete list of award recipients.

The Sandra Day O'Connor Award for the Advancement of Civics Education is named after the late Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and first woman to serve on the nation's highest court. When Justice O'Connor retired from the Supreme Court in 2006, she became a tireless advocate for improving civics education. Among her accomplishments was founding iCivics, a program that uses web-based educational tools to teach civics education and inspire students to participate actively in our democracy.

This award honors an organization, court, or individual(s) who have promoted, inspired, improved, or led an innovation or accomplishment in civics education related to the justice system.

Nominating process

This award is presented annually. Candidates must be nominated by a member of the Conference of Chief Justices, Conference of State Court Administrators, or NCSC Board of Directors. Nominations should include a nomination letter that demonstrates how the candidate/s has met the criteria described below:

• Leadership and commitment: the number of years devoted to civics education, whether the efforts have been personal (e.g., going into the field, classrooms, civic groups) and/or strong advocacy work, such as making speeches and providing endorsements; and
• Programmatic details: what has been the impact and scope of the nominee's efforts, what is the nature/variety/duration of the programmatic efforts, and have any of the programmatic activities prompted innovation.

A committee of NCSC's Board of Directors serves as the selection committee for this award.  When conferred, the award is presented at a time and location mutually agreeable to the recipient and NCSC.

Award recipients

2024: Nebraska State Bar Foundation

See the complete list of award recipients.

This award is named after Chief Justice Harry L. Carrico, who served as a justice on the Virginia Supreme Court for 42 years and as Chief Justice of the Commonwealth of Virginia for 22 years until his retirement in 2003.

Chief Justice Carrico participated in the founding of NCSC in Williamsburg, Va., in 1971 and ground-breaking for NCSC's headquarters in Williamsburg in 1976. He also served on the NCSC Board of Directors from 1987 to 1990 and chaired the board from 1989 to 1990.

Created by the NCSC Board of Directors, this award honors a sitting state chief justice, or a sitting justice who has served as a chief justice within one year preceding selection, who has inspired, sponsored, promoted, or led an innovation or accomplishment of national significance in the field of judicial administration.

Nominating process

This award is conferred only when a special innovation or accomplishment of national significance in the field of judicial administration has been made. NCSC's president will identify eligible and suitable candidates for the award and periodically present nominations to a committee of NCSC's Board of Directors.

The selection committee

The Governance and Nominations Committee of the NCSC Board of Directors serves as the selection committee for this award. When conferred, the award is presented at a time and location mutually agreeable to the recipient and NCSC.

Award recipients

2020 - Nathan Hecht (Texas)

See the complete list of award recipients.

The award is named for G. Thomas Munsterman, founder and former director of the Center for Jury Studies and an internationally renowned innovator in jury systems and research.

Nominating process

Presented annually since 2008, the award recognizes states, local courts, individuals, or other organizations that have made significant improvements or innovations in jury procedures, operations, or practices in one of the following categories:

• state or local statutes, rules, or other formal changes
• jury management or technology
• in-court improvements
• other improvements or innovations

Award recipients

2024: Ada County (Idaho) Jury Office

See the complete list of award recipients.

Established in 1996 in recognition of NCSC's 25th anniversary, the Warren E. Burger Society honors individuals who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to improving the administration of justice through extraordinary contributions of their time, talent, and support to the National Center for State Courts.

2024 Inductees:

Paul F. DeLosh. DeLosh is the director of judicial services in the Office of the Executive Secretary at the Supreme Court of Virginia. He is a fellow of NCSC's Institute for Court Management and past president of the National Association for Court Management, where he holds leadership roles as a liaison to several national initiatives.

Retired Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea. Gildea served as chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court for 13 years and now practices with Greenberg Traurig LLP in Minneapolis. Prior to joining the supreme court, she served as a judge in the Fourth Judicial District in Hennepin County, a prosecutor in the Hennepin County Attorney's Office and as associate general counsel for the University of Minnesota.

Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan L. Hecht. Chief Justice Hecht was first elected to the Supreme Court of Texas in 1988 and subsequently elected as its chief justice in 2014. He is a past chair of NCSC's Board of Directors and past president of the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ). Chief Justice Hecht has provided leadership to national projects including NCSC's Eviction Diversion and Just Horizons initiatives and the National Task Force on Fines, Fees, and Bail. He was also appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States to the federal Advisory Committee on Civil Rules.

Joan M. Robinson. Robinson, of Erlanger, Ky., is the widow of American Bar Association (ABA) President Bill Robinson. Prior to his death, Bill Robinson was active with the ABA for more than 30 years. He is remembered for his tireless advocacy on behalf of an independent judiciary, judicial education, and the rule of law. Joan Robinson was a very active partner with her husband and continues to honor his legacy.

Jeff Shorba. Shorba has served as the state court administrator for the Minnesota Judicial Branch since 2012. During his time with the court, Shorba has overseen the statewide implementation of a new case management system and the state's nationally recognized Conservator Auditing Program. He is a past president of the Conference of State Court Administrators and past vice chair of NCSC's Board of Directors.

Member listing

See the complete list of Warren E. Burger Society members.