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The American Bar Association's Government and Public Sector Lawyers Division is accepting nominations for its three national awards, which will be presented at the ABA's Annual Meeting in August 2003, in San Francisco, California.

The Dorsey Award honors an outstanding public defender or legal aid lawyer. Eligible recipients are lawyers who serve indigent persons, in the employ of legal aid bureaus, indigent defense, or legal organizations providing legal service to the disadvantaged and funded by the Legal Services Corporation. The Hodson Award recognizes sustained outstanding service or a specific extraordinary accomplishment by a government or public sector law office. Eligible nominees include all government or public sector law offices (e.g. legal aid bureaus, public defender offices and other legal organizations funded by the Legal Services Corporation) at the federal, state and local levels. Departments or units within offices are also eligible. The Nelson Award, recognizes outstanding contributions to the ABA by an individual government or public sector lawyer. All government and public sector lawyers are eligible and the division will consider an individual's specific extraordinary accomplishments as well as sustained superior contributions to the ABA over a number of years.

These awards offer a rare opportunity to recognize the outstanding work accomplished in the public sector. They also serve to inform the general community about the exceptional work of the nation's public sector lawyers.

Nominations must be received in the Division's office by April 3, 2003. All nomination information can also be found on the Division's Web page at: <http://www.abanet.org/govpub/annual.html> .

The Office of the Illinois Attorney General has recently updated its pocket-sizedGuide to the Illinois Open Meetings Act. The booklet answers commonly asked questions regarding the requirements of the Open Meetings Act. Copies of the Guide may be requested by calling (217) 782-9070.