Presenting the Jacob Burns Center Award for Professional Courage to Elizabeth (Liz) Oyer. The Award was created in 2021 to honor legal professionals who displayed courage while fulfilling their obligation to practice law ethically. 

Liz Oyer served in the Department of Justice as United States Pardon Attorney from April 2022 to March 2025, overseeing the Office of the Pardon Attorney. In that role, she was responsible for reviewing applications from individuals across the country seeking pardons and commutations of sentence and preparing recommendations for the President concerning the exercise of his constitutional clemency power. The Pardon Attorney is a career-reserved position in the Senior Executive Service; it is not a political appointment.