Thomas R. Curtin to Receive the 2026 American Inns of Court Professionalism Award for the Third Circuit

McElroy Deutsch is pleased to announce that Thomas R. Curtin was selected to receive the prestigious 2026 American Inns of Court Professionalism Award for the Third Circuit. Chief Judge Michael A. Chagares of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit will present the award at the Third Circuit Judicial Conference in May in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Tom will also be recognized at the American Inns of Court Celebration of Excellence Dinner at the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C. 

“It is an understatement to say that Tom’s love of the law and its practice runs deep. A veteran commercial litigator and widely regarded as a ‘lawyer’s lawyer,’ Tom possesses the same strong zeal, ambition, and passion as the day he proudly graduated from University of Notre Dame Law School in 1968,” writes Chief Judge Renée Marie Bumb of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in her nomination letter. “In short, I cannot think of a more deserving person than Tom for this award. He is a consummate professional, outstanding attorney, devoted volunteer, and a remarkable person.”

The American Inns of Court Professionalism Awards are presented annually, in participating federal circuits, to a lawyer or judge whose life and practice display sterling character and unquestioned integrity, coupled with ongoing dedication to the highest standards of the legal profession and the rule of law. 

The American Inns of Court, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, inspires the legal community to advance the rule of law by achieving the highest level of professionalism through example, education, and mentoring. Its membership includes nearly 25,000 judges, lawyers, law professors, and law students across more than 350 chapters nationwide.