The Legal Marketing Association (LMA) Midwest Chapter is pleased to announce the winners of the 2010 Your Honor Awards. The Your Honor Awards recognize excellence in legal marketing, sales, business development, and design. Entries were submitted by legal marketing professionals on behalf of their respective law firms. Nearly thirty entries were submitted in LMA Midwest’s regional competition, with entries from Chicago, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin law firms. Submissions were judged on a variety of criteria, including product, strategy and results. Winners were revealed at the awards ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 25 at Scoozi! Restaurant.

Law firms were honored at the ceremony with an achievement award in the following categories:

• Event: Ice Miller LLP – “Inc. 500/5000 Reception”
• Identity: Zun Partners – “Baker & McKenzie – Branding a Firm for Growth”
• Integrated Marketing Campaign: Ice Miller LLP – “Media Partnership with WFYI (Indiana PBS and NPR Affiliate)”
• Promotional & Collateral Materials: Three firms were honored in this category:
  • Small Firm: Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard – “We’re All Over the State of Illinois
  • Mid-Sized Firm: Bodman LLP – “Bodman Biennial Review”
  • Large Firm: Winston & Strawn – “Diversity”
• Promotional Gifts: SmithAmundsen LLC – “Beer Tasting 4-Pack of Ales and Lagers”
• Public Relations / Community Relations: Freeborn & Peters – “Eight Men Out”
• Recruiting / Professional Development: Perkins Coie – “RAINStorm Series” 
• Sales / Business Development: Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell – “Sales and Business Development Program” 
• Vendor Partner of the Year: Megan McKenna, threeM Design – for work with Levenfeld Pearlstein LLC 
• Web Sites and Other Electronic Media: Three firms were honored in this category: 
  • Small Firm: Wooden & McLaughlin LLP – “woodmclaw.com”
  • Mid-Sized Firm: Bodman LLP – “bodmanllp.com”
  • Large Firm: Proskauer Rose LLP – “proskauer.com” submitted by Hubbard One

This year, our judges thought one entry stood out amongst the others in this category. To reward the uniqueness and ingenuity of this entry, the judges awarded a special “Judges’ Innovation Award.” This category was not available for entry. The winner in this category was:

• Much Shelist – “2009 Holiday e-Greeting”

The highlight of the evening was two special awards given to LMA Midwest members to recognize professional excellence and service to the Chapter: the Hall of Fame award and the Rising Star, a new award this year.

Nancy Roberts Linder was named as the newest inductee into the LMA Midwest Hall of Fame. One of the early in-house law firm marketers in Chicago and CFO of Linder Legal Staffing, she has been a member of the LMA for 22 years, serving as President of the Midwest Chapter in 1996 and 1998 and in other capacities on the Chapter Board of Directors for more than a decade. She is also known as an advocate for the inclusion of marketing and practice development instruction to law students. She created such a program that has been taught at Chicago Kent College of Law since 1998 and for which the school honored her with a Professional Achievement Award in 2003. Nancy is a prolific author and presenter, writing and speaking on a variety of legal marketing topics.

The new award category of “Rising Star” was established by the LMA Midwest Board this year to acknowledge the contributions to the industry and service to our chapter by an outstanding Young Member. Young Members are defined as those with fewer than five years of legal marketing experience. These members are often the unsung heroes of the chapter as their developing needs and skill sets often serve as catalyst for change and new ideas within the Chapter. This award strives to recognize one individual who has shown leadership beyond his or her years, has stepped up to lend a hand wherever needed, and represents the potential that our next generation has to offer.

This year’s Rising Star honoree is Rachel Repke, Client Relations Coordinator at Perkins Coie. Rachel, a member of LMA Midwest since 2007, has served on the PR, Special Programs, and Pro Bono committees. In 2010, she serves as Chair of the Special Programs Committee, the group responsible for planning and organizing programs such as the Brown Bag Lunch series, special initiatives including the Board bowling event, and pro bono initiatives.

LMA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs and maintaining the professional standards of the men and women involved in marketing within the legal profession. Now in its 25th year, the Legal Marketing Association is the premier international organization for legal marketing and communications practitioners serving law firms and the legal industry.

LMA Midwest is one of the largest chapters of the Legal Marketing Association in the country with more than 300 members. Members come from small to large firms headquartered or with offices located in Chicago and surrounding counties and the Milwaukee, Indianapolis, and Southeast Michigan regional areas.