2026 Academic Awards
Congratulations to our 2026 graduates! View a full list of academic awards below. A livestream of the Academic Awards Celebration will be available on the website homepage on Saturday, May 16.
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.
Alexandra Vardinoyannis
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.
Julia Scolapio
Andrew Wheelright
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.
Elone Mengistu
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.
Melanie Leon
Ratikka Rajendran
Xu Wang
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.
Puja Samant
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.
Star Johnson
Stephen Rutkowski
Michael Dillon Cooley Memorial Award
Presented to the members of the graduating Juris Doctor class who shared most generously of their time, compassion, and vitality to aid the intellectual and spiritual growth of fellow students.
Daniel Hopkins
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.
Olaide Lemoru
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.
Jackson Head
Jacob Hoechster
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.
Tegan Oliver
The Ledakis and Weston George Washington Law Review Award
Given to a member of Law Review for excellence in authorship of a note.
Alexis Vocatura
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.
Flatra Hasimi
Julia Quintao Frade
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.
Minlu Li
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.
Johanna Slaughter
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.
Colin Garber
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.
William Miller
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.
Rebecca Richardson
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.
Eric Frank
(First Place, tie)
Rebecca Richardson
(Third Place)
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.
Rachel Lobel
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.
Emme Lighthouse
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.
David Boord
Henry R. Berger Award
Presented to a member of the graduating Juris Doctor class who has demonstrated excellence in the area of tort law.
Rachel Pepper
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. alexis
Cheryl Blake
Jennie Hassler Walburn Award
Presented to the members of the graduating Juris Doctor class who demonstrated excellence in the area of civil procedure.
Benjamin Heidloff
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 Gulotta
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.
Amanda Hichez
(2025-2026)
Braelyn Parkman
(2025-2026)
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.
Matt Brajuka
(2025-2026)
Molly Kalb
(2025-2026)
Emilia Tapia Jimenez
(2025-2026)
Reem Turk
(2025-2026)
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.
Camille Burton
(2025-2026)
Bridget Gidlow
(2025-2026)
Cobi Lockett
(2025-2026)
Shaian Sharmin
(2025-2026)
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.
John Fritsche (2025)
Shane Scott (2025)
Wade Marshall (2026)
Aneesh Sood (2026)
M. Ethan Lucarelli Moot Court Award
Given to the member of the graduating class who demonstrated overall excellence in moot court competitions.
Ella Hillier
Elone Mengistu
Awards for Overall Academic Excellence
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.
Rachel Pepper
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.
Rebecca Richardson
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.
Rachel Pepper
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.
Rachel Pepper
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.
Mitchell Davenport