2025 Ronald M. George Public Lawyer of the Year Award Recipient: Phillip A. Talbert
In January 2025, Phil Talbert completed his term as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California, leading an office with locations in Sacramento, Fresno, and Bakersfield serving over 8 million people. He was appointed by President Biden after serving as an Assistant United States Attorney for two decades, during which time he prosecuted drug trafficking cases, supervised the office’s appellate practice and training unit, served as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney under two different U.S. Attorneys, and led the office twice as Interim U.S. Attorney. He also taught Professional Responsibility at the UC Davis School of Law.
Before joining the office, Mr. Talbert served as an attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice in the Criminal Division, where he was hired in the Attorney General’s Honors Program, and the Office of Professional Responsibility. He also practiced litigation and white-collar criminal defense at the Seattle office of Stoel Rives and served as a law clerk to Judge David R. Thompson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He received his B.A., magna cum laude in Economics, from Harvard University; his M.Ec. from the University of Sydney, which he attended on a Rotary Foundation Scholarship; and his J.D. from the UCLA School of Law. Read More
Ronald M. George Public Lawyer of the Year Award
Every year, the Public Law Section presents the Ronald M. George Public Lawyer of the Year Award to recognize a public law practitioner who has provided outstanding service to the public and possesses an exemplary reputation in the legal community and the highest of ethical standards.
In 2008, the Public Law Section named the award in honor of now-retired Chief Justice Ronald M. George in recognition of his distinguished career dedicated to serving the public and longtime support of the Section. The Executive Committee is honored to invite members of the Public Law Section, the State Bar and the public at large to submit nominations for the Ronald M. George Public Lawyer of the Year Award for 2024.
The Executive Committee supports the goal of diversity in the membership and leadership of the State Bar. As such, promoting and achieving diversity is considered carefully in selecting an outstanding member of the State Bar who practices public law as the Ronald M. George Public Lawyer of the Year.
The deadline to submit a nomination was May 15, 2025.
Eligibility
To be eligible, a nominee must meet the following criteria:
- Be a member of the State Bar of California with an exemplary record; and
- Have at least five years of recent, continuous practice in public law in California
Selection Criteria
The following factors may be considered by the Executive Committee in its selection of the recipient of the Public Lawyer of the Year Award:
- Demonstrated commitment of the nominee to the practice of public law
- Use of innovative or creative problem-solving by the nominee in the practice of public law
- Exceptional accomplishments by the nominee in the practice of public law
- Provisions of legal services by the nominee to the public above and beyond what which is considered ordinary.
Nomination Process
To nominate and individual for this award, please submit the following:
- Nomination Form
- Nominator’s Statement of Nomination
- Nominee’s Resume or Biography (indicating the nominee’s principal areas of practice, the number of years of practice, professional achievements, and other features of his or her career, such as community involvement and bar association activities.)
- Letter(s) of Support (no more than five)
Nominations and supporting materials must be submitted by email to:
Ronald M. George Public Lawyer of the Year Award
Public Law Section Section Coordinator
E-Mail: PublicLaw@calawyers.org
Past Honorees
Each year the Public Law Section honors a public lawyer selected by the Public Law Section Executive Committee from nominations sent in by members of the Section and the public at large.
Click Here for more information about past honorees. In addition, the Section also gave the award in 1995 to Anthony Alperin, in 1994 to N. Eugene Hill, in 1993 to Elizabeth Strauss, and in 1991 to Ted Prim.