Created in 1998 by the State Bar Board of Commissioners to honor Frank J. Kelley for his record-setting tenure as Michigan's chief lawyer, this award recognizes extraordinary governmental service by a Michigan attorney holding elected or appointive office.

Dan DeGrow, who's had a distinguished career that included one two-year term in the Michigan House of Representatives, followed by 20 years in the Senate, will be retiring this fall due to term limits. He was elected in 1998 to the position of Senate Majority Leader. In that role, he was responsible for setting the chamber's legislative priorities and serving as the Senate's spokesperson. During his legislative career, Senator DeGrow championed the right of Michigan children to receive a quality education. He was instrumental in the passage of Proposal A and has chaired the School Aid (K-12) Appropriations Subcommittee, where he worked on legislation to equalize funding levels for public schools and lower student-teacher ratios in the classroom.

Saul A. Green, who is currently Senior Counsel at Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C. in Detroit, has dedicated his legal career to serving the public for more than thirty years. Green served as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan from June 1994 to May 2001. Green is the first African American in the history of this state to hold that position. During his years as United States Attorney, he established a partnership between law enforcement and the communities within the district. The goal of programs that he implemented, like the Justice Department's "Weed and Seed" initiative, was to create safe and empowering communities. Green often tackled the difficult and divisive relationship between law enforcement and the community by bringing together different groups and facilitating dialogue on issues like hate crimes and racial profiling. Prior to his appointment as U.S. Attorney, Green served as the Corporation Counsel for Wayne County, and between 1976 and 1989 as chief counsel for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In 1998, he received the Bar's prestigious Champion of Justice Award in recognition of his achievements in the law.