Institute of Bill of Rights Law Honors Jeffrey B. Wall With Edmund Randolph Award for Excellence in Oral Advocacy
On Monday, March 3, the Institute of Bill of Rights Law Student Division presented Jeffrey B. Wall with the 2025 Edmund Randolph Award for Excellence in Oral Advocacy, otherwise known as the Silver Tongue Award.
The award acknowledges a distinguished appellate advocate who has devoted his or her career to the improvement and enhancement of the standards of appellate practice, the administration of justice, and the ethics of the legal profession.
This year's honoree, Jeffrey B. Wall, embodies these qualities as he has argued more than 30 cases at the United States Supreme Court. After spending almost a decade in the Office of the Solicitor General, Wall is currently a partner at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and the head of their Supreme Court and Appellate Practice.
After accepting the award, Wall gave remarks about his career and belief that oral advocacy was a craft that can and should be practiced and refined over time. He then served as Chief Judge, alongside William & Mary Law Professors Allison Orr Larsen and Jennifer Franklin, in the Bushrod Moot Court tournament final.
Bushrod is a competition for 1Ls and 2Ls to join William & Mary’s renowned Moot Court competition team. The two finalists this year were Charles Burnside ’27 and Lillian Feist ’27.
Wall complimented both students at the end of the Moot Court for their poise and ability to pivot to new questions quickly on their feet.