Thursday, November 19, 2026
Nominations Close June 23, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Dinner Tables/Tickets & Sponsorship Opportunities Coming Soon
Nomination Guidelines
- Nominees are not required to be a Forum member, but must be a general counsel or managing counsel of a corporation, non-profit, or government agency in the state of Texas.
- A previous winner is not eligible for nomination in the same category. To view previous years’ winners, click here.
- Please submit a detailed statement of why the nominee should be considered along with the nomination form. When preparing your nomination, please provide the information noted in the form for the respective category. Note: Objective measures are more useful for the judging panel than general subjective statements.
- If a nominee is nominated for more than one category, please add relevant comments and details for all categories nominated.
- Please keep your nomination confidential until the winners are announced. We will select one winner per category. Winners are notified in advance and must be present at the Magna Stella Awards Dinner.
Nominations close June 23, 2026 at 6:00 PM.
Award Categories
Lynn Switzer Bozalis
Lifetime Achievement
General Counsel or Chief Legal Officer
Key Selection Criteria
- Describe the breadth of the nominee’s legal work as in-house and outside counsel, as well as any government and judicial appointments.
- Provide information, such as statistics or other objective measurements, if available, demonstrating the highlights of the nominee’s career.
Pro Bono
Legal Department
Key Selection Criteria
- Describe the activities the nominee has taken to promote pro bono legal services within own organization.
- Describe the activities, if any, the nominee has taken to promote pro bono legal services within the profession or industry at large.
- Provide information such as statistics or other objective measurements, if available, demonstrating the success of pro bono activities.
Diversity
Legal Department
Key Selection Criteria
- Describe the activities the nominee has taken to promote diversity within his or her own organization.
- Describe the activities, if any, the nominee has taken to promote diversity within the profession or industry at large.
- Provide information such as statistics or other objective measurements, if available, demonstrating the success of the activities.
General Counsel
Large Legal Department
11 or More Lawyers
Key Selection Criteria
- Provide the total number of lawyers in the department and if possible, the organization chart (i.e., who are direct reports, etc.).
- Describe the activities the nominee has taken in the past few years that distinguish her or him as truly outstanding. Provide as much detail as possible about how this was above and beyond simply doing an effective job in administration, inspiration, legal skills or other aspects of the position.
General Counsel
Small Legal Department
2-10 Lawyers
Key Selection Criteria
- Provide the total number of lawyers in the department and if possible, the organization chart (i.e., who are direct reports, etc.).
- Describe the activities the nominee has taken in the past few years that distinguish her or him as truly outstanding. Provide as much detail as possible about how this was above and beyond simply doing an effective job in administration, inspiration, legal skills or other aspects of the position.
General Counsel
Solo
1 Lawyer Department; GC Only
Key Selection Criteria
- Describe the activities the nominee has taken in the past few years that distinguish her or him as truly outstanding. Provide as much detail as possible about how this was above and beyond simply doing an effective job in administration, inspiration, legal skills or other aspects of the position.
General Counsel
Non-Profit/Government
General Counsel or Managing Counsel
Key Selection Criteria
- Provide the total number of lawyers in the department and if possible, the organization chart (i.e., who are direct reports, etc.).
- Describe the activities the nominee has taken in the past few years that distinguish her or him as truly outstanding. Provide as much detail as possible about how this was above and beyond simply doing an effective job in administration, inspiration, legal skills or other aspects of the position.
Senior Managing Counsel
Large Legal Department
11 or More Lawyers
Key Selection Criteria
- The nominee must be a deputy, associate or assistant general counsel, or the first attorney in line behind the general counsel.
- Describe the activities the nominee has taken in the past few years that distinguish her or him as truly outstanding. Provide as much detail as possible about how this was above and beyond simply doing an effective job in administration, inspiration, legal skills or other aspects of the position.
Senior Managing Counsel
Small Legal Department
2-10 Lawyers
Key Selection Criteria
- The nominee must be a deputy, associate or assistant general counsel, or the first attorney in line behind the general counsel.
- Describe the activities the nominee has taken in the past few years that distinguish her or him as truly outstanding. Provide as much detail as possible about how this was above and beyond simply doing an effective job in administration, inspiration, legal skills or other aspects of the position.
Major Litigation
General Counsel or Managing Counsel
Key Selection Criteria
- Describe the matter and include dollar amount, if appropriate.
- Describe the significance of the case, either to the company, the industry, or the development of the law.
- Describe any innovative measures used to achieve a favorable result in the litigation (e.g. innovative ADR measures, cost control measures, etc.).
Major Transaction
General Counsel or Managing Counsel
Key Selection Criteria
- Describe the transaction in sufficient detail, including dollar amount, to demonstrate its complexity or novelty.
- Describe the significance of the transaction, either to the company, the industry, or the development of the law.
- Describe any innovative measures employed to achieve a favorable result.
Dinner Table/Ticket Pricing
| Platinum Table • Table for ten guests with VIP seating • Prominent sponsor signage at your table • Acknowledgment in dinner program and awards presentation | $6,000 |
| Diamond Table • Table for ten guests with priority seating • Prominent sponsor signage at your table • Acknowledgment in dinner program and awards presentation | $5,000 |
| Sapphire Table • Table for ten guests with preferred seating • Prominent sponsor signage at your table • Acknowledgment in dinner program and awards presentation | $4,000 |
| General Table • Table for ten guests with general seating • Acknowledgment in dinner program and awards presentation | $2,500 |
| Individual Ticket • Ticket for one at a general seating table | $250 |
