NCPO Seeks Nominees for 2008 Isaac Hecht Award

The Isaac Hecht Award for Excellence in the Field of Law Client Protection, presented annually by the National Client Protection Organization (NCPO), honors the memory and distinguished professional career of Isaac Hecht of Maryland.

Isaac’s professional career stands as a monument to a life “lived greatly in the law.” The principal focus of that career centered on the protection of law clients from dishonest conduct in the practice of law. Isaac served as the Treasurer of Maryland’s client protection fund for 34 years and 18 years as a member of committees of the American Bar Association supporting client protection programs in the United States and Canada.

The Hecht Award recognizes an individual, law client protection fund, court or other professional organization that has demonstrated excellence in the field of law client protection. “Excellence” includes significant achievements in promoting public confidence in the integrity of the legal profession; the substantial reimbursement of law clients for eligible losses; the development of programs to prevent or detect professional misconduct in the practice of law; and meaningful public information programs for attorneys and legal consumers.

NCPO’s Board of Directors, which selects the recipients of the Hecht Award, works with a Nominating Committee which seeks recommendations from interested professional organizations throughout the United States and Canada.

Nominations should identify the nominee; describe the accomplishments, contributions or initiatives of the nominee; and include such supporting documents as the nominating individual or organization deems relevant and helpful. Nominations may be submitted by postal mail to the Chair of the Nominating Committee: Fred Miller, 5 Chestnut Hill South, Loudonville, NY 12211, or by e-mail: millerfg@aol.com.

The deadline for nominations is April 15, 2008.

Past recipients of the Hecht Award include Francis X. Neuner of Louisiana; Frederick Miller of New York; William T. Ricker of Florida and Missouri; and Kenneth J. Bossong of New Jersey. This year’s award will be presented at the ABA’s 24th Annual Forum on Client Protection in Boston, Massachusetts, on Friday, May 30, 2008.

February 25, 2008