Class of 2025 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 2025
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 2025: Justin B. Apperson, Kathleen Sarah Collins, Michael Allen Condyles Jr., Shelby RiAnne Conley, Alison Flamiano Domonoske, David Egloff, James Albert Garner, Sally B. Harnish, John William Howell, Joseph Layne Lancaster, Dulaney Hughes Marsh, Mason Edward Miller, Richard John Mullaney, Thomas William Naatz, Kyle Jonathan Saxon, Benjamin William Schultz, Annabel Baylor Steele, Kara M Vecchione, Ryan William Weber, and Kate A. Zinsner
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 2025 inductees: Hannah Barrios, Sydney Brooks, Madelyn Candela, David Egloff, Scott Harris, Karlee Gordon, John Howell, Pat LaBella, Tyler Mayhew, Lauren Miller, Richie Mullaney, and Alison Walsh
ACADEMIC AWARDS
ABA-BNA Award for Excellence in Health Law
This award recognizes outstanding performance in the study of health law.
Class of 2025 recipient: Alec Whipple
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 2025 recipients: Shelby Conley and Sally Harnish
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 2025 recipient: Richie Mullaney
American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Medal of Excellence Award
This award recognizes outstanding performance in bankruptcy law.
Class of 2025 recipient: Joseph Marino
ALI-CLE Scholarship & Leadership Award
This award recognizes students who best exemplify a combination of scholarship and leadership.
Class of 2025 recipient: Kara Vecchione
Carter Kaplan & Co. International Financial Law Award
This award recognizes student excellence in international financial law.
Class of 2025 recipient: Justin Apperson
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 2025 recipient: Elizabeth Cotter
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 2025 recipient: Ashley Smith
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 2025 recipient: Sarah Colborn
Award for Excellence in International Law
Class of 2025 recipients: Michaela Mazzeo and Tom Naatz
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 2025 recipient: Michael Whittaker
William Hamilton Prize
The William Hamilton Prize is awarded to the student who has demonstrated outstanding performance in legal history.
Class of 2025 recipients: Anneliese Schaaf and Zulekha Tasneem
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 2025 recipient: Allen Condyles
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 2025 recipient: Sally Harnish
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 2025 recipient: Fiona Houghtby
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.
2025 recipient: Hayden Smith
Virginia Trial Lawyers Award
This award recognizes a graduating student, or students, for excellence in trial advocacy skills.
Class of 2025 recipient: Sydney Brooks
JOURNAL AWARDS
William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review Award for Excellence in Scholarship, Best Note
Class of 2025 recipient: Caitlin Kwalwasser
William & Mary Environmental Law & Policy Review Award for Outstanding Member
Class of 2025 recipient: Raina Machisen
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal, Best Articles Editor
Class of 2025 recipient: Willow Hasson
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal, Best Student Note
Class of 2025 recipient: Caroline Olsen
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal, Best Notes Editor
Class of 2025 recipient: Jacqueline Hahn
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal, Best Senior Editor
Class of 2025 recipient: Michael Mazzeo
William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal, Best Cite-Checker
Class of 2025 recipients: Helen Gehle and Katherine von Schaumburg
William & Mary Business Law Review, Best Student Note
Class of 2025 recipient: Kaitlin Chang
William & Mary Business Law Review, Outstanding Member
Class of 2025 recipient: Mark Wilson
William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender and Social Justice, Best Student Note
Class of 2025 recipient: Kathy Bacuta
William & Mary Journal of Race, Gender and Social Justice, Outstanding Member
Class of 2025 recipient: Caroline Osborne
William & Mary Law Review, Best Student Note
Class of 2025 recipient: John Thayer
William & Mary Law Review, Best Citechecker
Class of 2025 recipient: Anya Karaman
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 2025 recipients: Diego Granada, Hannah Barrios, Spencer Daus-Haberle, Eden Fernandez, Pat LaBella, Darci Law, Anya Karaman, Sang Hwan Lee, Olivia Menosky, Madalyn Sullivan, and Zulekha Tasneem.
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 2025 recipient: Kaitlin Chang ’25
Honor Council Recognition
The following member of the class was recognized for participating with distinction on the Honor Council: William Crouch, Jimmy Garner, Scott Harris, Natalie Hatton, Nam Kim, Courtney Lange, Sang Hwan Lee, Sarah McGovern, Hayden Smith, and Delaney Wood
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 Miranda Arendt, Hannah Barrios, Keenan Bilyeu, Emily Buttolph, Taylor Cannatelli, Connor Cheadle, Brenda Cook, Delia Gammon, Karlee Gordon, Jacqueline Hahn, Taylor Hersch, Mary Catherine High, Olivia Menosky, Connor O’Neill, Caroline Osborne, Allison Riley, Suraj Singh, Caroline Swaim, Zulekha Tasneem, and Katie von Schaumburg
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 2025 honorees: Jenniffer Andino Cruz, Hannah Barrios, Emma Battin, Nyna Benjamin, Keenan Bilyeu, Jesse Brouillette, Emily Buttolph, Shannon Callaghan, Yiyang Chen, Matthias Connelly, Brenda Cook, Michaela Cotton, Kelly Curran, Spencer Daus-Haberle, Ethan Downs-Decker, Lara Dunkelberg, Jayli Esber, Eden Fernandez, James Garner, Karlee Gordon, Jacqueline Hahn, Willow Hasson, Fiona Houghtby, John Howell, Anya Karaman, Hailey Kates, Caitlin Kwalwasser, Courtney Lange, Darci Law, Sang Hwan Lee, Caleb Lyon, Laney Marsh, Olivia Menosky, Lauren Miller, Reese Mines, Maryanna Mitchell, Joseph Mockabee, Anjalika Mohanty, Gracie Moore, Richard Mullaney, Thomas Naatz, Casandra Oldfield, Caroline Olsen, Anna Grace O’Neal, Connor O’Neill, Alex Perkowski, Janelle Radcliffe, Angelica Radomski, Allison Riley, Mauro Rosato, Olivia Rovin, Lea Schiefele, Benjamin Schultz, Allie Shearer, Niharah Shillingford, Suraj Singh, Hayden Smith, Madalyn Sullivan, Laura Wenzel, Reece White, Arianna White, and Oz Winegardner