UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS LAW PROFESSORS, ALUMNI WIN AWARDS AT ANNUAL ARKANSAS BAR ASSOCIATION MEETING

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Two University of Arkansas School of Law faculty members and five of its alumni were honored recently at the Arkansas Bar Association's Annual Meeting in Hot Springs.

Professor Howard Brill received the James H. McKenzie Professionalism Award, while Professor Morton Gitelman was presented the Maurice Cathey Award during the three-day meeting at the historic Arlington Hotel. Other recipients at the event included School of Law alumni Woody Bassett, Darrell Dover, Col. William Martin and Judge George Howard, Jr. Gitelman's late wife, Marcia McIvor, was honored posthumously with the Arkansas Bar Foundation Legal Writing Award.

Brill came to the law school in 1975 and currently serves as the first-ever Vincent Foster Professor of Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility. The McKenzie Award recognizes sustained excellence through integrity, character and leadership to the profession and the community which garners the highest honor to the legal profession.

Gitelman, who joined the law school faculty in 1965, was honored with the Cathey Award for his contributions to The Arkansas Lawyer where he has served as a member of the publication's Editorial Advisory Board since 1997.

Gitelman is considered a dedicated and reliable member of the Arkansas Bar Association on top of his teaching duties at the School of Law and his many contributions to law reviews. He has served on the association's Uniform Laws Committee from 1989-2001, on the Jurisprudence and Law Reform Committee for several years and on the Judicial Article Implementation Task Force in 2001.

A 1977 graduate of the law school and its former Legal Clinic director, McIvor died Jan. 23, 2003 after a valiant 18-year struggle with cancer. Her winning article, "Jurisdiction Counts in Custody Matters," appeared in the Fall 2002 issue of The Arkansas Lawyer.

Bassett, also a 1977 graduate of the law school and partner of The Bassett Law Firm in Fayetteville, received the Outstanding Lawyer Award at the meeting. The award is given in recognition of excellence in the practice of law and outstanding contributions to the profession.

Dover ('57) was honored with the C.E. Ransick Award of Excellence which recognizes extraordinary service to the legal profession. A senior partner with the Dover Dixon Horne firm in Little Rock, Dover has practiced law for over 40 years.

Martin ('55) was presented the Arkansas Bar Association Presidential Award of Excellence at the meeting. A former executive director of the Association, Martin was also elected to a fourth term as Secretary-treasurer during the four-day event.

A 1954 graduate of the School of Law, Howard was presented at the ABA meeting a special award of merit for distinguished service in the pursuit of justice. He has the distinction of being one of the three most active Arkansas lawyers in the school desegregation drive of the 1950's and 1960's. Prior to his appointment as U.S. District Judge by President Jimmy Carter, Judge Howard served on both the Arkansas Supreme Court and the Arkansas Court of Appeals.

Also at the meeting, Thomas A. Daily ('70) took over the reigns as ABA president for the 2003-04 year.