The application form can be found here.

• Robert Schwartz has been named the recipient of the Stephen M. Cahn Award . Mr. Schwartz co-founded the Juvenile Law Center (JLC) in Philadelphia in 1975, at a time when the dedicated practice of law for children was virtually unheard of. He has served as Executive Director of JLC since 1982. Mr. Schwartz' representation of youth, mentorship of attorneys in the field, and his academic and policy advocacy accomplishments have established him as one of our nation's most valued juvenile attorneys.
• John B. Ciccolella was the inaugural recipient of the Stephen M. Cahn Career Achievement Award. Mr. Ciccolella practices law in Colorado Springs , Colorado . He has been in private practice since 1973 serving children and families in Southern Colorado . Mr. Ciccolella has put his own life on the line to protect the legal rights of his clients. He was honored in 2002 for his dedication to children and families for nearly 30 years and the legal work he has done on their behalf.

• Hon. Ana España - Prior to her appointment to the San Diego Superior Court in 2008, Judge España was a longtime dependency attorney in the San Diego Department of the Public Defender. As the Supervising Attorney for Child Dependency Section she was responsible for the original design and development of the child dependency section. Prior to taking on a supervisorial role, Judge España represented children in dependency and delinquency cases. She has written several articles and presented at numerous seminars, most recently focusing on education laws and outcomes pertaining to foster youth. Judge España is a graduate of the University of San Diego School of Law. 

• 2011 - Kaitlyn McKenna, JD candidate at Hofstra University, School of Law, for her essay titled: A Global Perspective of Children’s Rights: Advocating for U.S. Citizen Minors After Parental Deportation Through Federal Sub Agency Creation.
• 2010 - Reestablishing the Humanitarian Approach to Adoption: The Legal and Social Change Necessary to End the Commodification of Children by Katherine Herrmann.
• 2009 - Shuffling to Justice: Why Children Should Not Be Shackled in Court by Anita Nabha.
• 2008 - Ensuring Equal Access to Education: Ending Racial Isolation in Public Schools in Light of Parents v. Seattle School District No. 1 by Manali Shah
• 2007– Prevention and Rehabilitation of Youth Who Commit Sexual Offenses: The Importance of an Inter-Agency Approach by Andrea Randisi, UC Davis School of Law.
• Honorable Mention - Making Miranda Protections Meaningful for Suspects with Cognitive Limitations by Amy Weiner, Harvard Law
• 2006 – Adequate Access or Equal Treatment: Looking Beyond the IDEA to Section 504 in a Post-Shaffer Public School by Christopher J. Walker, Stanford Law School
• 2005 – Free Exercise in Foster Care: Defining the Scope of Religious Rights for Foster Children and Their Families by Kelsi Brown Corkran, University of Chicago, and 2nd Place Violation of the Rights of Unaccompanied Immigrant Children in the United States, and the Need for Appointed Counsel by Javier Barraza, King Hall School of Law, University of California, Davis.
• 2004 - Child, School, and Police: Reappraising the "Special Needs” Doctrine in an Era of School-Law Enforcement Entanglement by Joshua Kagan of New York University Law School, and A Child’s Due Process Right to Legal Counsel in Abuse and Neglect Dependency Proceedings by Jacob Smiles of Washington University School of Law.
• 2003 – International Adoption in Cases of Children Separated From Their Parents by War by Cynthia Donley Young of Washington & Lee University School of Law.
• 2002 – Megan’s Laws Must Succeed Ex Post Facto and Apply Retroactively by Chris Curtin of University of Akron School of Law.