This Chicago Bar Foundation Award honors an attorney who, in choosing to devote him or herself to a career of public service, has demonstrated lifelong excellence in the quality of his/her work, leadership within his/her organization and significant leadership and service on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised.
The Thomas H. Morsch Award, which includes a $10,000 cash prize generously provided by the Morsch family, was established to recognize and reward exemplary lawyers who choose public service work as a career. It is named after Thomas H. Morsch, a former partner at Sidley Austin, and a leader in the Chicago legal community who has championed the cause of public interest law for more than 40 years. Mr. Morsch headed Sidley Austin’s commercial litigation department from 1973-1995, was a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and supervised the firm’s Committee on Pro Bono and Public Interest Law for 20 years. Mr. Morsch has also served as president of The Chicago Bar Foundation and on the board of numerous other charities and legal organizations. Mr. Morsch is currently the Emeritus Director of the Small Business Opportunity Center at the Northwestern University School of Law.
