In Memoriam

Stephen Philbin

Stephen Philbin
1964 graduation

Stephen Philbin Awards
for Excellence in Legal Reporting

The Stephen Philbin Awards were created in 1983 to honor the memory of Stephen H. Philbin, a long-time member of the Dallas Bar Association and a partner with the firm of Locke Purnell Boren Laney & Neely. Stephen died in 1982 from leukemia.

At the time of his death, Stephen was a leading authority on media law in Texas. He advised The Dallas Morning News and other publications and broadcast companies owned by A.H. Belo Corporation on libel law, regulations and licensing of broadcast properties, and fair comment rulings. Stephen was a graduate of the Harvard University School of Law. He received a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Yale University. In honor of Stephen's contributions, an anonymous donor, acting through the Dallas Bar Foundation, funds the Philbin Awards to recognize excellence in legal reporting. The Dallas Bar Association has distributed the Philbin Awards annually since 1983.