The Benjamin C. Bachrach Service to the Defense Award is presented by the Illinois Public Defender Association. With the words, It is time that I perform a public duty at a financial sacrifice, prominent criminal defense attorney Benjamin C. Bachrach accepted appointment as the first Public Defender in Illinois in 1930. This award is given in recognition of that spirit of public service and personal sacrifice.

Richard E. Cunningham was a former Assistant Appellate Defender and capital panel attorney, who was nationally recognized as an exceptional capital defense advocate and a tenacious champion of the rights of his capital clients.

Theodore A. Gottfried served as the first State Appellate Defender for 35 years from 1972 through 2007.  The Gottfried Award is presented to a member of the Support Staff who has demonstrated excellence in job performance, exercised leadership, contributed to a positive work environment, and exhibited professionalism and dedication to the work of the Agency and the clients we all serve.

The Haddad Award was established in memory of James Haddad, a distinguished lawyer, teacher and author who throughout his career was associated with the Office of the State Appellate Defender.

The Hughes Award was established by the Board of Commissioners in honor of Patrick J. Hughes, former First Assistant State Appellate Defender. This award is to be presented to a Supervisor who has demonstrated excellence in his/her performance as a Supervisor that has resulted in high-quality representation of clients by those supervised.

The Bruce Robert Jacob award is presented by the Illinois Public Defender Association to an Assistant Public Defender or an Assistant Appellate Defender whose efforts embody the core values of the Public Defender Movement in the United States and the State of Illinois.  This award recognizes the efforts, whether on a single case or over the course of the previous twelve months, which epitomize the selfless dedication to the constitutional precepts which form the basis of the criminal defense of the indigent accused in Illinois.

The Jenner & Block Award recognized Mr. Gottfried’s lifetime achievement and dedication to improving the accuracy and fairness of the criminal justice system.  Mr. Gottfried’s pioneering efforts helped to create the Office of State Appellate Defender in 1972. He served as the State Appellate Defender for 35 years.

The John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program provides for the payment of eligible educational loans (both Federal Family Education Loan Program [FFELP] and Federal Direct Loans) for state and federal public defenders and state prosecutors who agree to remain employed as public defenders and prosecutors for at least three years.

The Virgil E. Tipton Publications Award is given by the Illinois State Bar Association in recognition of meritorious service to the Association, and is based on the quality of work in writing and editing, the importance of the subject matter, and the reputation of the editor/author in the field covered by the publication. In 2004, Mr. Bergschneider received the award in recognition of work on the 1998 edition and 2003 Supplement to the "Illinois Handbook of Criminal Law Decisions."