Emma Davis Herber ’26 Receives Lawrence W. I’Anson Award at Law School Commencement

Emma Davis Herber ’26 received the Lawrence W. I’Anson Award, the highest award given to a graduating student by the faculty of William & Mary Law School, during the school’s commencement ceremony at Kaplan Arena on Saturday, May 16.

The award is given each year to a member of the graduating class who “has shown evidence of great promise through scholarship, character and leadership.”

Herber is a proud “double tribe” member, having studied history and economics at William & Mary, graduating summa cum laude and earning election to Phi Beta Kappa’s Alpha Chapter before continuing on to law school. Herber is a two-time Cypher Award recipient, reflecting her deep involvement in the W&M community.

Herber served as president of the Student Bar Association and, among her many other involvements, was a teaching assistant for Professor Gershowitz’s Criminal Law course and Professor Larsen’s Constitutional Law courses, performed in two productions with Lawyers Got Talent, and competed as a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution team.

Herber also served as the Toby Prince Brigham Property Rights Fellow and as symposium editor for the Environmental Law and Policy Review. After graduation, Herber will—somewhat reluctantly—be leaving Williamsburg after seven years, but she is excited to begin her career in New York City.

The award is named in honor of Lawrence W. I’Anson (1907-90), who earned his undergraduate degree at William & Mary and was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia from 1974 to 1981. This is the law school’s highest award and the recipient is selected by a vote of the faculty.