A serialized magazine story detailing a 1982 Waco triple homicide is among the finalists for the American Bar Association’s 2015 Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts.

Texas Monthly’s “The Murders at the Lake,” by executive editor Michael Hall, was among 14 Silver Gavel finalists announced Wednesday and the only finalist named in the magazine category. 

The awards recognize outstanding work that fosters the American public’s understanding of law and the legal system. Winners will be announced May 13.

The finalists are listed below along with a link to their work.

BOOKS

“Burning Down the House: The End of Juvenile Prison”
Nell Bernstein, Author
The New Press

“The Case Against the Supreme Court”
Erwin Chemerinsky, Author
Viking/Penguin Books

“Uncertain Justice: The Roberts Court and the Constitution”
Laurence Tribe and Joshua Matz, Authors
Henry Holt and Company

MAGAZINES



“The Murders at the Lake”
Michael Hall, Executive Editor
Texas Monthly

NEWSPAPERS

“No Relief”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Cary Spivak, Reporter

“Till Death Do Us Part”
The Post and Courier
Glenn Smith, Projects Editor
Doug Pardue, Projects Reporter
Jennifer Berry Hawes, Faith and Values Reporter
Natalie Caula Hauff, Reporter

DOCUMENTARIES

“Stop”
Stop Productions
Spencer Wolff, Director/Producer

“The Case Against 8”
Tripod Media
Ben Cotner and Ryan White, Directors/Producers
Jessica Lawson, Co-Producer

TELEVISION

“15 to Life: Kenneth’s Story”
American Documentary/POV
Nadine Pequeneza, Director/Producer
Chris White, Vice President, Programming and Production
Simon Kilmurry, Executive Producer
Cynthia Lopez, Co-Executive Producer

“The New Black”
Promised Land Film
Yoruba Richen, Producer/Director
Yvonne Welbon, Producer
Angela Tucker, Co-Producer

RADIO

“Serial: Season One”
Serial
Julie Snyder, Executive Producer
Sarah Koenig, Host and Executive Producer
Dana Chivvis, Producer

“60 Words”
Radiolab WNYC
Jad Adumrad, Host/Editor
Robert Krulwich, Host
Kelsey Padgett, Producer

OTHER MEDIA


“Segregation Now: Investigating America’s Racial Divide”
ProPublica
Nikole Hannah-Jones, Investigative Reporter
Minhee Cho, Communications Manager
Jeff Larson, Data Editor
Maisie Crow, Independent Documentary Filmmaker


“Profiting from Prisoners: Time is Money”
The Center for Public Integrity
Eleanor Bell, Multimedia Editor
Daniel Wagner, Reporter


For more information on the Silver Gavel Awards, visit ambar.org/gavelawards

Texas Gavel Awards

The State Bar of Texas is still seeking submissions for the 2015 Texas Gavel Awards, which recognize outstanding legal journalism in Texas.

Entries published or broadcast during the 2014 calendar year will be accepted for the print, broadcast, and online categories until 5 p.m. April 1. Awards will be presented Sept. 17 at the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas annual conference in Austin.

Visit texasbar.com/gavelawards for more information.