On 8 March 2015 the Sunday Mail released its list of Queensland’s 50 Top Thinkers. The list was described as including the best and brightest of people who have turned their minds to making society better. The people who have made Queensland the smart state. It was drawn from a broad range of backgrounds including science, medicine, education, business, politics, culture and sport.
Terry O’Gorman was included in the list for his work as a criminal defence lawyer and for his role as a civil libertarian, rallying against perceived abuses of police and political power. As the president of the Australian Council for Civil Liberties and vice-president of the Queensland Council Terry has been fighting for the rights of fellow Queenslanders for more than 40 years.