PRESS RELEASE Judge William L. Norton Jr. Annual Award Created to Recognize Achievements in Judicial Excellence

PRESS RELEASE Judge William L. Norton Jr. Annual Award Created to Recognize Achievements in Judicial Excellence

Contact: John Hartgen
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JUDGE WILLIAM L. NORTON JR. ANNUAL AWARD CREATED TO RECOGNIZE ACHIEVEMENTS IN JUDICIAL EXCELLENCE

June 14, 2006, Alexandria, Va. The American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) and Thomson West, the leading provider of integrated information solutions to legal professionals, have announced a partnership to create the William L. Norton Jr. Judicial Excellence Award. Named for former bankruptcy judge William L. Norton, Jr., author of Thomson West’s treatise Norton Bankruptcy Law & Practice 2d, the annual award will honor a distinguished bankruptcy judge who has achieved national recognition as an educator, writer and/or scholar. The initial award will be presented during the ABI luncheon at the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (NCBJ) annual meeting in San Francisco on Nov. 3, 2006.

Those selected for the Norton Award each year will receive a plaque commemorating their lifetime achievements and contributions to the insolvency community. Thomson West also will make a donation in the name of the winner to ABI as a restricted gift for joint ABI-NCBJ educational projects. A selection committee appointed by ABI as well as editors of Norton Bankruptcy Law & Practice 2d will solicit nominations and determine the award recipient.

Jean Maess, Thomson West vice president of strategic marketing, said the award reflects the commitment to scholarship and professionalism that was a hallmark of Judge Norton’s judicial career. “Judge Norton’s writing has guided virtually every lawyer who practices in the area of bankruptcy. We’re honored that this award will help to sustain his legacy and spirit of scholarship,” she said.

The award brings together ABI, NCBJ and Thomson West in the goal of advancing bankruptcy education while annually recognizing the lifetime contributions of a leading member of the federal judiciary.

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ABI is the largest multi-disciplinary, nonpartisan organization dedicated to research and education on matters related to insolvency. ABI was founded in 1982 to provide Congress and the public with unbiased analysis of bankruptcy issues. The ABI membership includes more than 11,500 attorneys, accountants, bankers, judges, professors, lenders, turnaround specialists and other bankruptcy professionals providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information. For additional information on ABI, visit www.abiworld.org. For additional conference information, visit http://www.abiworld.org/events.

About Thomson West

Headquartered in Eagan, Minn., Thomson West is the foremost provider of integrated information solutions to the U.S. legal market. Thomson West is a business within The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC) and was formed when West Publishing and Thomson Legal Publishing merged in June 1996. For more information, please visit the Thomson West Web site at http://www.west.thomson.com.