Cooke will receive the Medal of Honor Award for his many contributions to providing access to justice for those living in poverty, and for his tireless service to HabiJax, the Jacksonville affiliate of Habitat for Humanity.
Miami attorney John W. Thornton, president of The Florida Bar Foundation, said “For nearly four decades, Ham Cooke has honored the tenets of the legal profession by working diligently to help provide justice for all. Through his efforts with HabiJax (Habitat for Humanity), hundreds of Jacksonville’s poorest residents have become homeowners. During his years on The Florida Bar Board of Governors and The Florida Bar Foundation, he focused his efforts on Floridians living in poverty. Thanks to his service, thousands have been able to obtain access to the justice system.”
The Florida Bar Foundation Medal of Honor Award, established in 1977, is awarded annually to a member of the Florida Bar who has demonstrated his or her dedication to the objectives of the Florida Bar as set out in the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar: "…to inculcate in its members the principles of duty and service to the public, to improve the administration of justice, and to advance the science of jurisprudence."