Class of 2024 Awards and Recognitions
Commencement is a time for shining a light on the achievements and contributions of students, faculty, alumni, and staff.
Graduation Awards and Recognition, Class of 2024
ORDER OF THE COIF
Membership in the Order of the Coif is the highest academic honor a law student can achieve. It is equivalent to membership in Phi Beta Kappa for undergraduates, and recognizes the scholastic achievements of law students selected from the upper 10 percent of their class.
Inductees from the Class of 2024: Kirsten Michelle Bahnson, William W. Burchett, Kylie Lauren, Clouse, Rachel Perry Clyburn, Alexa Michelle Croen, Thomas Eugene Floyd, Leanna Claire Gibson, Timothy J. Lyle, Katy Malloy, Sarah MacLeod Nagle, Andrew J. Olson, Elise Mae Robinson, Richard Clayton Schofield, Dillon A Schweers, Stephanie Hannah Soh, Daniel G Stephen, and Matthew Howard Wallace
COMPETITION TEAM AWARDS
Order of Barristers
The Order of Barristers, chartered in 1970, is a national honor society that recognizes “graduating law students who excelled as student advocates in written and oral advocacy activities and competitions—moot court, mock trial, and ADR.” Only 10 students can be selected each year.
Class of 2024 inductees: Alexis Bale, Sarahelena Barrios, Jake Blevins, Dana Call, Boaz Campbell, Jim Davidson, Thomas Floyd, Mary Hutchings, Katherine Litaker, Bailey McPhail, Andy Olson, Helen Tariku
ACADEMIC AWARDS
ABA-BNA Award for Excellence in Health Law
This award recognizes outstanding performance in the study of health law.
Class of 2024 recipient: Kirsten Bahnson
ABA-BNA Award for Excellence in the Study of Intellectual Property Law
Faculty who teach intellectual property choose the award recipient for his or her outstanding performance in this area of study.
Class of 2024 recipient: Melissa Quirin
ABA State and Local Government Law Award
This award, whose recipient is chosen by faculty who teach land use and local government law, recognizes outstanding performance in this area of study.
Class of 2024 recipient: Richard Schofield
American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Medal of Excellence Award
This award recognizes outstanding performance in bankruptcy law.
Class of 2024 recipient: Joseph Marino
ALI-CLE Scholarship & Leadership Award
This award recognizes students who best exemplify a combination of scholarship and leadership.
Class of 2024 recipient: Dillon Schweers
Carter Kaplan & Co. International Financial Law Award
This award recognizes student excellence in international financial law.
Class of 2024 recipient: Hily Nichols
Clinical Legal Education Association Outstanding Clinical Student Award
Recognizes excellence in clinic fieldwork and exceptionally thoughtful, self-reflective participation in an accompanying clinic seminar, as nominated by the clinical faculty at William and Mary Law School.
Class of 2024 recipient: Munseong Park
Clinical Legal Education Association Outstanding Externship Student Award
Recognizes the valuable work for justice that law students do through externships and provides schools the opportunity to nominate an outstanding and self-reflective externship student for CLEA’s recognition.
Class of 2024 recipient: Madison Albrecht
John E. Donaldson Tax Award
Named in honor of John E. Donaldson, the Ball Professor Emeritus who taught for 35 years at William & Mary Law School, this award goes to the most outstanding tax student or students.
Class of 2024 recipient: Abigail Good and Shelby Gendreau
Award for Excellence in International Law
Class of 2024 recipients: Dana Call and Michelle Lazaran
Family Law Book Award
The Family Law Section of the Virginia State Bar and the Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers co-sponsor this award to be presented to a graduating student at each Virginia law school who has demonstrated the most promise and potential for the practice of family law.
Class of 2024 recipient: Oz Winegardner
William Hamilton Prize
The William Hamilton Prize is awarded to the student who has demonstrated outstanding performance in legal history.
Class of 2024 recipients: Katy Malloy and Dillon Schweers
John G. Kruchko Award in Labor and Employment Law
The generosity of the Baltimore-based firm of Kruchko & Fries makes possible the annual recognition of a graduating student or students who have excelled in labor law and employment relations. The recipient is selected by faculty who specialize in this area of law.
Class of 2024 recipient: Lilly Coward and Shelby Julien
Lewis B. Puller, Jr., Veterans Benefits Clinic Award for Excellence (Bozman Award)
Presented in honor of Captain Raymond E. Bozman, Medical Corps, U.S. Navy (in memoriam) & Jeffrey T. Bozman J.D. ’12 U.S. Marine Corps, 2005-2009. The Bozman Award recognizes outstanding character, leadership, and service to the Lewis B. Puller, Jr. Veterans Benefits Clinic.
Class of 2024 recipient: Josie McGuire
National Association of Women Lawyers Award
This award recognizes a student or students who have contributed to the advancement of women in society by promoting issues and concerns of women in the legal profession, exhibiting motivation, tenacity, and enthusiasm, demonstrating academic achievement, and earning the respect of the Dean and faculty.
Class of 2024 recipient: Sophia Kingsley
PELE Special Education Advocacy Award
This award recognizes outstanding service to children with special needs and their families by a student who participated in the PELE Special Education Advocacy Clinic. The award is made possible by the generosity of Claire Maddox ’05 and Robert Ribble in honor of Evan and in memory of Brooks.
2021 recipient: Kaitlyn Frerking
Virginia Trial Lawyers Award
This award recognizes a graduating student, or students, for excellence in trial advocacy skills.
Class of 2024 recipient: Alexis Bale
SERVICE AWARDS
Dean’s Certificates
Each year the Dean recognizes select members of the graduating class whose efforts on behalf of the Law School community have been especially outstanding.
Class of 2024 recipients: Emily Baker, Brendan Clark, Rachel Clyburn, Euan Davies, Katie Kitchen, Michelle Lazaran, Blair Page, Janvhi Patel, Bette Rubin, and Stephen Steward.
George Wythe Society Award
This award is bestowed by the George Wythe Society and recognizes a member of the Law School community who performs outstanding service and demonstrates fidelity to those qualities of character, leadership, and selfless service that distinguished the life of George Wythe.
Class of 2024 recipient: Jan Abbott
Honor Council Recognition
The following member of the class was recognized for participating with distinction on the Honor Council: Madison Albrecht, Margaret Dupree, Munseong Park, Helen Tariku, Gray Whitsett, Katrina Umstead, Catherine Wertz
Student Bar Association Recognition
This recognition is awarded to members of the class who have participated with distinction within the SBA.
Certificates were presented to Emily Baker, Miranda Bellamah, Billy Caswell, Dana Joss, Jacob Lekki, Bette Rubin, Chloe Mieras, and Stephen Steward
William & Mary Public Service Awards
Members of each graduating class who have distinguished themselves through volunteer service to clients, organizations, and causes that better their communities are recognized with William & Mary Public Service Awards.
Class of 2024 honorees: Noah Albert, Madison Albrecht, Rohun Allagh, Jong Heon Baek, Sarahelena Barrios, Nicole Bemberis, Brooke Bird, Jacob Blevins, Brittany Bonin, Marie, Bordelon, William Burchett, Anna Buri, Boaz Campbell, Sophia Campos, Jiayang Chen, Brendan W. Clark, Kylie Clouse, Rachel Clyburn, Tatyana Cobbin, Katharine Cooney, Lillian Coward, Lucas Della Ventura, Robert Drake, Dara Emami, Kaitlyn Frerking, Abigail Grand, Michael Hanewich, Ashlynn Hawes, Jennifer Heeg, Claire Homan, Meredith Johnson, Treyvon Jordan, Katie Kitchen, Sarah Knott, Michelle Lazaran, Jacob Lekki, Jiayi Li, Timothy Lyle, Skye McCollum, Alexandra Michalak, Elizabeth Nowicki, Andrew Olson, Caitlin Parets, Janhvi Patel, Collin Porter, Cameron Price, Haley Rosenspire, Bette Rubin, Danna Saenz, Richard Schofield, Dillon Schweers, Chaoyi Shi, Stephanie Soh, Rebecca Stekol, Stephen Steward, Jr., Dennis Sugg, Ezekiel Tal, Helen Tariku, Catherine Wertz, Joseph Whitsett, Lillian Wiener, and Gongyu (Jerry) Zhang