Nominations Sought for 2023 Amram Award
The ACBA Amram Award Committee is seeking nominations for the 2023 Philip Werner Amram Award, which is presented during the Friday luncheon at the Bench-Bar Conference. Given in the spirit of the conference, the Amram Award recognizes those who personify professional excellence and who have demonstrated substantial commitment to the ideals of the Allegheny County Bar Association and to the betterment of the greater community.
Nominees must:
- Have been engaged in the active practice of law for at least 12 years
- Be a member in good standing of the Allegheny County Bar Association
- Have been supportive of and active in the ACBA Bench-Bar Conference
- Have demonstrated professional excellence in the practice of law
- Have demonstrated outstanding service to the community

The Amram Award Selection Committee will consider the following when determining if a nominee has actively participated in and supported the Bench-Bar Conference: service as a conference presenter, service on committees that support the conference, long-standing conference attendance and a history of encouraging others to attend. Nominees need not have served on the Bench-Bar Committee or as its chair.
Award recipients from the last 10 years are Shelly R. Pagac, the Hon. Kim Berkeley Clark, Craig E. Simpson, Mary Sue Ramsden, Vincent J. Grogan, John F. Becker, the Hon. Kim D. Eaton, Barry M. Simpson, the Hon. Eugene Strassburger and the Hon. Christine Ward.
Submit nominations in the form of a detailed letter that outlines the nominee’s achievements to Mary Ann Fiorilli, Director of Membership and CLE, ACBA, 400 Koppers Building, 436 7th Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or email mfiorilli@acba.org. The deadline for nominations is Sunday, April 30.
The 2023 Bench-Bar Conference will be held June 15-17 at Seven Springs Mountain Resort. For more information, click here.
Amram Award Winners
- 2022 – Hon. Christine A. Ward
- 2019 – Hon. Eugene B. Strassburger III
- 2018 – Barry M. Simpson
- 2017 – Hon. Kim D. Eaton
- 2016 – John F. Becker
- 2015 – Vincent J. Grogan
- 2014 – Mary Sue Ramsden
- 2013 – Craig E. Simpson
- 2012 – Hon. Kim Berkeley Clark
- 2011 – Shelly R. Pagac
- 2010 – Hon. Debra Todd
- 2009 – William A. Goyette
- 2008 – Robert Raphael
- 2007 – Hon. Livingstone M. Johnson
- 2006 – John M. Feeney
- 2005 – Carol S. Mills McCarthy
- 2004 – Donald P. Minahan
- 2003 – Ruth A. Zittrain
- 2002 – Hon. Jeffrey A. Manning
- 2001 – G. Daniel Carney
- 2000 – John L. Doherty
- 1999 – Hon. Lawrence W. Kaplan
- 1998 – Lester E. Zittrain
- 1997 – Hon. Robert E. Dauer
- 1996 – June S. Schulberg
- 1995 – Donald W. Bebenek
- 1994 – Hon. I Martin Wekselman
- 1993 – Seymour A. Sikov
- 1992 – Michael Louik
- 1991 – Hon. Joseph A. Weis, Jr.
- 1990 – Dennis C. Harrington