2023 Academic Awards
Congratulations 2023 graduates! View the winners of the 2023 Academic Awards below.
Awards for Excellence in Clinical Practice
Manuel & Ana María Benítez Award for Clinical Excellence in Immigration Law
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who demonstrated extraordinary ability in his or her work in the Immigration Clinic and who possesses the qualities of the namesakes, both immigrants, including initiative, creativity, zeal, loyalty, and integrity.
Spoorthi Datla
Community Legal Clinics Volunteer Service Award
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who excelled in volunteering his or her time and energy to promote the goals and ideals of law in the public interest by contributing to the efforts of the Jacob Burns Community Legal Clinics.
Brandon Martinez Gonzalez
Melissa Flocks
The Clinical Legal Education Association Outstanding Student Award
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who excelled in a clinical course of law.
Angela Seagraves
Richard C. Lewis, Jr. Memorial Award
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who exhibited extraordinary dedication to his or her work in the Jacob Burns Community Legal Clinics and unusual compassion and humanity toward clients and colleagues.
Deja Williams
Awards for Distinguished Accomplishment
Justice Thurgood Marshall Civil Liberties Award
Presented to the members of the graduating Juris Doctor or Master of Laws class who demonstrated outstanding performance in and dedication to the field of civil rights and civil liberties.
Charnice Culmer
ALI CLE Law Scholarship and Leadership Award
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor or Master of Laws class who best represents a combination of scholarship and leadership.
Nicole Karem
Michael Dillon Cooley Memorial Award
Presented to the members of the graduating Juris Doctor class who shared most generously of his or her time, compassion, and vitality to aid the intellectual and spiritual growth of fellow students.
Courtland "Cody" Ingraham
National Association of Women Lawyers Outstanding Law Graduate Award
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor or Master of Laws class who contributed to the advancement of women, promoted concerns of women in the legal profession, achieved academic success, and earned the respect of the law school faculty and administration.
Leila Diallo
Robert E. Thibault & Richard B. Schenck Award for Service to the Military
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor or Master of Laws class who has undertaken extraordinary efforts to honor, assist, or otherwise support veterans and current members of the United States Armed Forces.
Maxie Lawton
Vivian Overbeck
Samuel Follansbee
Judge Roger W. Titus Award
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who seeks or obtains a federal district court clerkship and who embodies the qualities of academic excellence, personality, and humility that Judge Titus sought in his law clerks.
Spencer Reeves
Thelma Weaver Memorial Award
Presented to a foreign student in the graduating Master of Laws class who has contributed most to the intellectual and professional life of the law school, its students, and its faculty.
Sushant Mahajan
Awards for Excellence in a General Field of Study
Ogden W. Fields Labor Law Award
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who has demonstrated the highest overall proficiency in labor law.
Erin Davey
Lawrence E. Seibel Memorial Award in Labor and Employment Law
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who has demonstrated excellence in the labor and employment law field.
Stephen Stasko
Richard L. Teberg Award
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who demonstrated the highest overall proficiency in the area of securities law.
Devin Eager
Caitlin Hubbard
Henry R. Berger Award
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who has demonstrated excellence in the area of tort law.
Michael Brewer
Chris Bartok Memorial Award in Patent Law
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who has exhibited excellence in the area of patent law.
Khailee Marischuk
Finnegan Prizes in Intellectual Property Law
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor or Master of Laws class who wrote the best publishable article on an aspect of intellectual property law.
1st Place: Brian Zupruk
2nd Place: Annmarie Irwin
3rd Place: Ojasvinee Singh
3rd Place: Maria RePass
Peter D. Rosenberg Prize in Patent and Intellectual Property Law
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who has exhibited excellence in the study of patent and intellectual property law.
Madeline Moss
Jamie Grodsky Prize for Environmental Law
Presented to the members of the graduating Juris Doctor or Master of Laws class for the best papers written in the previous year in the field of environmental law.
Shana Herman
Charles and Kathryn Miller Environmental Law Award
Presented to the members of the graduating Juris Doctor or Master of Laws class who demonstrated excellence in the field of environmental law.
Kelly Davis
Phi Delta Phi Award
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who demonstrated excellence in the areas of professional responsibility, ethics, and jurisprudence.
Angela Olive Lee
Megan Lich
Joel B. Rosenthal Commercial Law Award
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who demonstrated excellence in the area of commercial law.
Nicolas Florio
Howard J. Rudge Creative Solutions Award
Presented to the members of the graduating Juris Doctor or Master of Laws class for the best papers proposing a creative solution to a serious societal problem in the United States.
Jaclyn Stabenau (2022)
Patricia A. Tobin Government Procurement Law Award
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor or Master of Laws class who demonstrated excellence in the area of government procurement law.
Alex Cardinal
Jennie Hassler Walburn Award
Presented to the members of the graduating Juris Doctor class who demonstrated excellence in the area of civil procedure.
Alexander Grayson
Imogen Williford Constitutional Law Award
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who demonstrated excellence in the area of constitutional law.
Christopher Shoemaker
Awards for Excellence in Oral Advocacy
Jacob Burns Award
Presented to the members of the graduating Juris Doctor class who were the winning team in the Van Vleck Moot Court Competition.
Maura McManus (2021-2022)
Order of Barristers Award
Membership in this national honorary society, which is administered by the University of Texas School of Law, is given to members of the graduating class who have excelled in alternative dispute resolution, mock trial, and/or moot court competitions.
Ellis McKennie (ADR)
Matthew Broussard (Mock Trial)
Jackson Kitchin (Mock Trial)
Alyssa Kurke (Mock Trial)
Lisa MacBeth (Mock Trial)
Ethan Shuchart (Moot Court)
Kristen Wilcox (Moot Court)
Shanni Alon (Moot Court)
Jeremy Glick (Moot Court)
Abhinav Garg (Moot Court)
Patrick Walters (Moot Court)
CourtCall Law School Award
Presented to two members of the graduating class who were best in Moot Court competitions and in Mock Trial competitions.
Matthew Broussard (Mock Trial)
Jason Long (Moot Court)
Judge Albert H. Grenadier Award
Given to the members of the graduating class who represented the law school at the National Moot Court Competition and the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.
Kelly Hutchinson (National, 2022-2023)
Maura McManus (Jessup, 2021-2022)($200)
Holden Fitzgerald (Jessup, 2022-2023)
Alan Harrison (Jessup, 2022-2023)
Gabrielle Lysko (Jessup, 2022-2023)
Nicole Thrun (Jessup, 2022-2023)
Spanogle International Commercial Arbitration Competition Award
Presented to the members of the graduating Juris Doctor class who represented the law school in the Willem Vis International Arbitration Competition.
Amanda Grace (2022-2023)
Maximilian Pil (2022-2023)
Alexandra Rokhlin (2022-2023)
Shalin Shah (2022-2023)
Rothwell, Figg, Ernst & Manbeck Award
Presented to the members of the graduating Juris Doctor class who were the winning team in the on-campus Rothwell Intellectual Property Moot Court Competition.
Abhinav Garg (2022)
Patrick Walters (2022)
Awards for Overall Academic Excellence
Kappa Beta Pi Full-Time Award
Presented to the female members of the graduating Juris Doctor class in the full-time courses of study who attained the highest cumulative averages in the first year.
Riley Desper
Kappa Beta Pi Part-Time Award
Presented to the female members of the graduating Juris Doctor class in the part-time courses of study who attained the highest cumulative averages in the first year.
Maura McManus
Phi Delta Delta Award
Presented to the female member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who attained the highest average in the first semester of study for the degree.
Angela Olive Lee
John Ordronaux 1L Award
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who attained the highest cumulative averages in the first year, full-time course of study.
Scott Hepler
John Ordronaux 2L Award
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who attained the highest cumulative averages in the second year, full-time course of study.
Jonathan Clark
Charles Glover Award
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who attained the highest cumulative average in the third year, full-time course of study.
Angela Olive Lee
Willard Waddington Gatchell Award
Presented to the three members of the graduating Juris Doctor class who attained the highest cumulative averages in the entire course of the degree.
Scott Hepler
Spencer Reeves
Michael J. Hill
Anne Wells Branscomb Award
Presented to a member of the graduation Juris Doctor class who attained the highest cumulative average in the part-time division for the entire course of the degree.
Maura McManus
John Bell Larner Award
Presented to a member of the graduation Juris Doctor class who attained the highest cumulative average for the entire course of the degree.
Scott Hepler