In-House Counsel Trailblazer Award
Recognizes an individual within the SABA-DC community who has demonstrated sustained excellence in in-house legal work or a specific extraordinary accomplishment as in-house counsel at a for-profit organization. Recipients exemplify leadership, innovation, and commitment to advancing opportunity within their organization and the broader legal community.
Law Firm Trailblazer Award
Recognizes an individual within the SABA-DC community who has demonstrated sustained excellence in law firm practice or a specific extraordinary accomplishment at a for-profit law firm. Recipients exemplify leadership, innovation, and commitment to advancing opportunity within their law firm and the broader legal community.
Public Sector Trailblazer Award
Recognizes an individual within the SABA-DC community who has demonstrated sustained excellence in public sector legal work or a specific extraordinary accomplishment in the public sector. Recipients exemplify leadership, innovation, and commitment to advancing opportunity within their organization and the broader legal community. Public sector attorneys include those employed by the federal, state, or local governments, colleges and universities, and non-profit organizations.
Rising Star Award
Recognizes an emerging legal talent within the SABA-DC community who is under the age of 40 or has been practicing for fewer than 10 years. Recipients of this award will have made notable professional contributions early in their careers while actively supporting SABA-DC and the broader South Asian community.
Community Leader Award
Recognizes an individual or organization in the greater Washington or DMV area who, regardless of SABA-DC membership, has demonstrated strong support for SABA-DC, its members, and/or the South Asian community through pro bono work or community engagement.
Lifetime Achievement Award
This is SABA-DC's highest honor and recognizes an individual with 20+ years in the legal field whose career exemplifies exceptional dedication to the legal profession and to the South Asian legal community. The Lifetime Achievement Award is not presented annually, but rather on a selective basis when candidates of extraordinary distinction are identified by the Awards Committee. Recipients must have demonstrated pioneering impact that shaped new pathways for South Asian Americans in the legal profession, and maintained meaningful connections to SABA-DC or the broader South Asian community. Unlike the Trailblazer Awards which honor excellence in specific sectors, this award celebrates cumulative impact across one’s entire career. Previous SABA-DC award recipients become eligible for a Lifetime Achievement Award 5 years after their prior award.
Award Submissions
Nominations
Candidates may self-nominate or be nominated by others for all award categories, except for the Lifetime Achievement Award, which is only selected at the discretion of the Awards Committee. The Awards Committee can consider a nominee for a category other than the one they were originally nominated for.