OCDLA
Oklahoma Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
The Lord Thomas Erskine Award
Lord Erskine was a Scotsman, the third son of the 10th Earl of Buchan, educated at Edinburgh and Cambridge and called to the bar in 1778. He was a strong advocate and defender of popular liberties and constitutional rights. His defense of Thomas Paine cost him his post of attorney general to the Prince of Wales. The award is given to honor a member of the criminal defense bar who has over the years steadfastly placed the preservation of personal liberties over his or her own personal gain or reputation. The award is a cumulative year award and is not limited to any particular activities in any given year.
