2025 Academic Awards

Congratulations graduates! View the 2025 award recipients 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.


Lily Brickman

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.


Nina Bundy 
Ori Fedida
Deborah Jaffee

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.


Kelly Hennessy

 

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.


Anissa Tanksley
Carla Moss

Susan Jones Memorial Social Entrepreneur and Community Empowerment Award

Given to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who exemplifies Professor Jones' values of community empowerment, financial literacy, and social entrepreneurism.


 Lauren Sturm

 

 

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.


Gideon Epstein
Jasmine Williams

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.


Jasmine WIlliams

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.


Sarah Gates Picchini

 

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.


Luke Schlobohm 
Allie Vaughn

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.


Elijah Pardo

The Ledakis and Weston George Washington Law Review Award

Given to a member of Law Review for excellence in authorship of a note.


Shloke Nair

 

 
 

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.


Enya Stephan

 

 

 

 

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.


Hannah Katz

 

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.


Christina Hitchcock

 

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.


Michael Schulien

 

 

Henry R. Berger Award

Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who has demonstrated excellence in the area of tort law.


Joseph Arkfeld

 

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.


 Brian Smallshaw

 

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.


Natalie Smith (1st)
Nicholas Earl Barker (2nd)
Brian Smallshaw (3rd - Tie)
Lexi Murman (3rd - Tie)

 

 

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.


Lorna Strachan

 

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.


Sidney Lee

 

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.


Coleman Wheeler

 

 

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.


Lenni Elias

 

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.


Yolanda Heman-Ackah

 

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.


Bryan Dewan

 

 

Jennie Hassler Walburn Award

Presented to the members of the graduating Juris Doctor class who demonstrated excellence in the area of civil procedure.


Erin McGuire

 

Imogen Williford Constitutional Law Award

Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who demonstrated excellence in the area of constitutional law.


Daniel Cooper

 

 

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.


Claire Housley
(2024-2025)

Emma Stinson
(2024 - 2025)

 

Cohen and Cohen Mock Trial Award

Given to the members of the graduating Juris Doctor class who were the winning team of the Cohen & Cohen Mock Trial Competition.


Chase O'Brien
(2024)

Emma Wardour
(2024)

 

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.


Caitlin Hyers
(2024-2025)

Jasmyn Montano
(2024-2025)

Hagar Sivan
(2024-2025)

Joanne Wicki
(2024-2025)

Saksham Sabarwal
(2023-2024)

 

 

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.


Eric Anthony
(2024-2025)

Nawal Seedat
(2024-2025)

Raisa Shah
(2024-2025)

Melis Ulusel
(2024-2025)

 

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.


William Shorter
(2024)

 

M. Ethan Lucarelli Moot Court Award

Given to the member of the graduating class who demonstrated overall excellence in moot court competitions.


William Schubert

 

 

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.


Lexi Orgill

 

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.


Eliza Puritz

 

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.


Abigail Stein

 

 

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.


Lexi Orgill

 

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.


Sean Hullihan

 

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.


Nicole Economou

 

 
 

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.


Nicole Economou
Charles Arnett
Sean Hullihan

 

 


 

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.


Charles Arnett

 

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.


Nicole Economou