Judging Criteria

  • Originality. Is this a novel idea or approach, or a new twist on an existing idea or approach? Novel does not mean “new to your organization.” The focus is on change in the legal services industry.
  • Disruption. Does this entry change an important element or established practice of the legal services process for the better, and marketplace expectations along with it?
  • Value. Is the client and/or legal industry better off because of this entry, in terms of the affordability, ease, relevance, or effect of legal services? It is important to identify the client. Is it law departments? Clients generally or a subset of clients? Law firms? Lawyers generally? Others?
  • Effectiveness. Has this entry delivered real, demonstrable, or measurable benefits, for the provider, its clients, or the marketplace generally? The judges are keenly interested in performance metrics. What change or outcome was expected? And importantly, what results were obtained?

Browse the Michael Mills Hall of Fame to learn more about past award recipients.

Eligibility, Requirements, and Disqualification Information

As you prepare your entry, please keep in mind the following requirements to avoid disqualification:

  1. Eligibility. Any nonprofit entity [includes 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) entities (or non-U.S. based equivalent), law schools, government agencies] providing legal services to clients anywhere in the world is eligible. All entries must demonstrate how access to justice is at the center of—or is a result of—the innovation. More than one entry may be submitted for a single organization so long as they are not duplicative.

    Organizations employing members of the Board of Trustees of the College of Law Practice Management or the Michael Mills InnovAction Awards Committee and Judging Panel are ineligible for consideration.

    Past InnovAction Award sponsors are not eligible to submit applications for two years after being a sponsor.

  2. Fee Waivers. In order to participate, a valid 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) [or non-U.S. equivalent] ID number is required for all nonprofit organization entries. The College conducts a tax-exempt organization search via the IRS to confirm eligibility of US entities and equivalent diligence for non-US based entities. Government organizations may omit a response.

  3. Time Frame. The initiative must have started January 1, 2023, or later.

  4. Compliance with Copyright Laws. All information, documents, and media submitted on an entry form must be original to the entrants, contain truthful and accurate information, and comply with copyright laws. We reserve the right to verify the entry documentation. Any entry that fails to meet these criteria will be disqualified.

  5. Permission to Publish Executive Summary. All entrants acknowledge that the executive summary portion of this entry form may be compiled and published, so be mindful of any proprietary information.

  6. Other Award Requirements. All entries and supporting documents are subject to verification. Once submitted, entries become the property of the College of Law Practice Management and will not be returned. All entrants must be willing for their entries to be the subject of articles published in legal and business media. All entrants must be available for interviews and provide requested information in connection with verification of entries to the College of Law Practice Management. Only entries submitted in accordance with these instructions will be considered. We reserve the right to disqualify, at any time, any entries that do not comply with these instructions, including maximum word counts. If submissions are not deemed significantly innovative, the College also reserves the right not to present an award.

  7. Entry Deadline. All entries and fees, if applicable, must be received by Thursday, December 11, 2025. No deadline extensions are permitted.