The Harper Lee Prize

A highpoint of my career was winning the Harper Lee Prize in 2017. The award was created by Harper Lee in collaboration with the American Bar Association and the University of Alabama, where Harper Lee studied before she went off to help her childhood friend, Truman Capote, write his masterpiece, In Cold Blood. The Harper Lee Prize was awarded annually between 2011 and 2020 to a published work of fiction that best illuminates the role of lawyers in society and their power to effect change. There’s a reason the award was given only ten times. In addition to a very nice glass plaque, the winner received an autographed copy of To Kill A Mockingbird. Harper Lee signed ten of them before her death to commission the award. My copy is among my prized possessions.

My award ceremony was held at the University of Alabama School of Law. The award sponsors chose that venue so that Harper Lee’s friends could attend. To my surprise, several of them did. After my speech, one elderly woman who had been friends with Harper Lee for decades approached me and said, “Nelle would have been proud.” It was one of the proudest moments of my live.

Click here if you’re interested in reading my speech.