2025 Convocation Awards

Academic Awards, Overall Achievement Awards, and Awards for Service to the Law School


Convocation awards are given to graduating JD and LLM students who have excelled in their overall scholarship or in community service while at the Law School. 

The deadline to submit all award nominations is Monday, February 17, 2025.

You may view more details about each award below:

ACADEMIC AWARDS
Category Award Award Description Submit Nominations To:
Academic Awards Martin Lipton University Graduation Prize To the student with the highest academic average based on five semesters. Jacob Lepler
Academic Awards Law Review Alumni Association Award To the student with the second-highest academic average based on five semesters. Keton Kakkar
Academic Awards Law Review Alumni Association Award To the student with the third-highest academic average based on five semesters. Maxwell X. Kavanagh
Academic Awards David H. Moses Memorial Prize To the member of the LLM class with the highest academic average.

Brennan D. Heyer (2024 Recipient)

SCHOLARSHIP & ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARDS (JD only)

Successful nominees for the overall achievement awards will typically have a GPA of 3.5 or above or demonstrate academic excellence by earning an A+ in one or more courses.

Category Award Award Description Submit Nominations To:
Overall Achievement Benjamin F. Butler Memorial Award For exemplary distinction in scholarship, character, and integrity. In addition to superior academic achievement, the recipient demonstrates exemplary character and integrity during their time at NYU School of Law.

Madeline L. Batt
Max J. Day

Overall Achievement George P. Foulk Memorial Award For distinguished academic performance and extracurricular activities.  In addition to excellence in academic endeavors, the recipient demonstrates exceptional leadership in their extracurricular professional endeavors at NYU School of Law and/or in the legal community Michael C. Gurock
Jamie Rachel Smith
Overall Achievement Maurice Goodman Memorial Prize For outstanding academic achievement and scholarship. This recipient demonstrates their passion for the law through intense study of a subject area resulting in publication in a scholarly journal. The recipient exhibits the promise to become a thought leader within the legal community. Max S. Miller
Samuel M. Orloff
Overall Achievement Frank H. Sommer Memorial Award For exceptional distinction in scholarship and professional excellence. This award is for a student who has achieved exceptional academic distinction and demonstrated professional excellence through participation in community or extracurricular activities. Keton Kakkar
Isabelle Wechsler

VANDERBILT MEDALS AND DEAN JOHN SEXTON PRIZE (JD & LLM, Service to the Law School)

Vanderbilt Medals and the Dean John Sexton Prize are designed to recognize students who have made a significant contribution to our community. Specifically, Vanderbilt Medals are given to several students for "outstanding contributions to the School of Law" and the Dean John Sexton Prize to a "law student whose outstanding service to the Law School community exemplifies the values of Dean Sexton."

Category Award Award Description Submit Nominations To:
Community Service Vanderbilt Medals For outstanding contributions to the NYU School of Law. This award is for students especially active in the Law School or the greater legal community. These students distinguish themselves through leadership in student organizations, community organizations and/or public service initiatives. Like its namesake, former Dean Arthur Vanderbilt, these recipients demonstrate leadership and vision in their endeavors during their time at the Law School.

Ayushi Agrawal
Emma G. Austin
Youssef Hany Samuel Aziz
Anjali T. Dhillon
Mayara KC Kato
Isabel M. Lapuerta
Elaine Miao
Talia Niasia Scott
Steven H. Torres
Shawn A. Young
Kiran Daniel Zelbo
Asher Zlotnik

Community Service Dean John Sexton Prize To a law student whose outstanding community service to the NYU School of Law exemplifies the values of Dean Sexton. This award is for the student who clearly demonstrates a love for the Law School. Like Dean Sexton, this student’s time at the Law School was spent building community and fostering relationships across varying groups of people. The recipient continues the tradition of warmth, collegiality, and community within the Law School fostered by Dean Sexton.   Chloe Min Bartholomew
Lawrence B. Cai

 

SUBJECT AREA & SPECIALIZATION AWARDS (JD & LLM)

Subject area awards are conferred for outstanding achievement in various fields of law. These awards are based on scholarly or other excellence of the type described and can include superior quality work on a paper or note.

Category Award Award Description Submit Nominations To:
Administrative Administrative Law Prize To a student who has demonstrated excellence in the field of administrative law. To Be Announced
Antitrust Betty Bock Prize in Competition Policy To a graduating student who has produced an outstanding paper in the field of antitrust law and policy, with preference given to a paper of excellence not only in theory and concept but also in the tradition of taking facts seriously. To Be Announced
Civil Procedure Weinfeld Prize for Scholarship in Procedure and Courts Designated by the dean for distinguished scholarship in the area of federal courts, civil procedure and practice, evidence and/or trial practice. To Be Announced
Clinic Christian Jarecki '98 Memorial Prize For outstanding work and commitment in a law clinic. Chloe Min Bartholomew
Clinic Ann Petluck Poses Memorial Prize Designated by the dean in recognition of outstanding work in a clinical course requiring student practice. Zoe A. Chang
Naomi L. Chasek-Macfoy
Olivia Dure
Abraham E. Evans
William A. Haskell
Kelsey Kinoshita
Benjamin E. Lerude
Jackson M. Patton
Marie A. Portes
Byul Yoon
Comparative Howard Greenberger Award For outstanding achievement in the area of comparative law. To Be Announced
Competition, Innovation, and Information Frank T. Diersen Prize For distinction in the LLM Competition, Innovation and Information Law program. To Be Announced
Constitutional Leonard M. Henkin Prize For an article or note on the equal rights portion of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Suchait S. Kahlon
Constitutional Robert B. McKay Prize in Constitutional Law** To a student who has demonstrated excellence in constitutional law throughout their years at the NYU School of Law. Samuel M. Orloff
Contracts Daniel G. Collins Prize To a member of the graduating class who has demonstrated excellence in the area of contract law. To Be Announced
Corporate Compliance and Enforcement Corporate Compliance and Enforcement Prize To a student who has demonstrated excellence in the areas of corporate compliance, corporate enforcement, or individual liability for corporate crime or regulatory violations. Michael C. Gurock
Rebecca N. Kahn
 
Corporation George Colin Award
 
For distinction in the LLM Corporation Law program. Avner Israel Shemla Kadosh
Criminal Judge Abraham Lieberman Award For outstanding scholarship in the area of criminal law. Jae Hyoung Sim
Economics Law and Economics Prize To a student who has demonstrated excellence in the area of law and economics. To Be Announced
Employment NYU Center for Labor and Employment Prize For excellence in employment and employee benefits law. Samuel Robert Ball
Rebecca M. Delaney
Entertainment Jack J. Katz Memorial Award To a student who has demonstrated excellence in the field of entertainment law. Anders M. Greene-Crow
Environmental Environmental Law Prize To a student who has demonstrated excellence in the field of environmental law. Joseph A. Brau
Adelaide C. Duckett
Environmental Environmental Law Prize For distinction in the LLM Environmental Law program.

To Be Announced

Ethics Leonard J. Schreier Memorial Prize To a law student who has exhibited academic excellence in the area of ethics. To Be Announced

Evidence
David Friedman Memorial Award For outstanding achievement in evidence. Tommaso Morrione
Human Rights International Human Rights Award To a student with an outstanding academic record in the field of international human rights law. To Be Announced
 
IBRLA International Business Regulation, Litigation, and Arbitration Award For distinction in the IBRLA program. Mika Maximilian Hellmuth
Intellectual Property Walter J. Derenberg For outstanding achievement in the area of intellectual property law. Ben Tauber, JD
Sanghun A. Lee, LLM
International Jerome Lipper Award For distinction in the LLM International Legal Studies program. To Be Announced
International Jerome Lipper Prize For outstanding work in the field of international law. Sasha Priya Aristotle
Youssef Hany Samuel Aziz
Isabel M. Paolini
Jewish/Israeli Relations Chuna David and Rose Estreicher Memorial Prize To a law student who has shown the greatest promise in the study of issues confronting the Jewish/Israeli peoples. Rafael Aryeh Jacobs
Cole Brody Kauffman
LACA Clinical Service Convocation Award Awarded to a graduating member of APALSA, BALSA, LaLSA, MELSA, or SALSA who is an outstanding member of a clinic, has proven their dedication to public service, and plans to pursue a career in public interest law. Isabel M. Lapuerta
LACA Kim Barry '98 Memorial Convocation Prize Awarded to a graduating member of APALSA, BALSA, LaLSA, MELSA, or SALSA who has demonstrated a commitment to international and human rights work and exhibits academic excellence in the best tradition of Kim Barry. Youssef Hany Samuel Aziz
LACA Public Service Convocation Prize Awarded to a graduating member of APALSA, BALSA, LaLSA, MELSA, or SALSA who has proven their dedication to public service and who plans to pursue a career in public interest law. Chloe Min Bartholomew
LACA Calisha Myers '15 Memorial Convocation Award

Awarded to a graduating JD member of the AnBryce Scholarship Program, Law Review, APALSA, BALSA, LaLSA, MELSA, SALSA, or Women of Color Collective (WoCC) who exemplifies the values and ideals by which Calisha lived her life at NYU Law School—leadership, humility, mentorship, and community service.

Talia Niasia Scott
Law and Business Charles D. Klein '63 Law and Business Award For demonstrated excellence in combining the analysis of legal issues and business issues. To Be Announced
Law and Business NYU Pollack Center for Law and Business SEED Award for Original Research For excellence in self-directed research utilizing the NYU Securities Enforcement Empirical Database. Kheyransa Aliyeva
Law and Social Enterprise White & Case Award in Law & Social Entrepreneurship
 

For academic excellence and demonstration of a strong commitment to the field of law and social entrepreneurship.

Juliet Kim, JD
Yujin Lee, LLM
Law Education Aleta Estreicher Graduation Prize To the JD student who best displays the potential for effective, dedicated, humane law teaching in the spirit of Professor Aleta G. Estreicher (Bryn Mawr '70, Columbia Law School '81).  Jordan M. Waller
Law Women/ WoCC Jeannie Forrest Women in Leadership Award To a graduating student member of Law Women or the Women of Color Collective who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and initiative during their time at NYU School of Law.

Emily Rendi Yan

LLM George Colin Award For distinction in the Traditional LLM program.
 
Trish Kashyap
Philosophy John Bruce Moore Award To a third-year JD student who has demonstrated excellence in the area of law and philosophy. Kevin Casey Hunter
Matthew Harris Lieberman
Public Service Eric Dean Bender Prize For a third-year student who has demonstrated a working commitment to a public service-oriented cause or project outside of and separate from NYU School of Law commitments. Ian M. Leach
Nina N. McKay
Public Service Public Interest Prize for LLMs For an LLM student who has demonstrated a clear commitment to a public service-oriented cause or project outside of and separate from any NYU School of Law or admission requirement. Matin Talkhabi
Public Service Carol Robles-Román '89 Equal Justice Award To the student who has demonstrated a deep commitment to championing equal justice and diversity in the legal profession. The graduate will have demonstrated such commitment during law school with plans to enter public service or non-profit and community-based legal advocacy after graduation. Savannah O. Baker
Race Relations Gary E. Moncrieffe Award To the most outstanding student in the area of racism and the law. Shawn A. Young
Real Estate Morris R. Henkin Prize To a student who has demonstrated excellence in the area of real estate. To Be Announced
Rights of People with Disabilities Jessica Klurfeld Prize Awarded annually for an excellent student paper or clinical work concerning the rights of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Isaiah Halper Levinson
Social Justice Holly Maguigan Social Justice Award For the member of the graduating JD class with demonstrated potential and passion for advocating on behalf of vulnerable populations and advancing gender, class, and racial justice. Chloe Min Bartholomew
Sports and Entertainment Larry Fleisher Memorial Foundation Prize For extraordinary achievement in the area of sports and entertainment law. Max R. Schneider
Taxation
 
David F. Bradford Memorial Prize
 
To a student who has written the best paper in the field of taxation.

To Be Announced

Taxation Flora S. and Jacob L. Newman Award For distinction in the LLM International Tax program. Dionysios Menagias
Taxation Harry J. Rudick Memorial Award To a JD student who has demonstrated excellence in taxation throughout their years at NYU School of Law. To Be Announced
Taxation Harry J. Rudick Memorial Award For distinction in the LLM Tax Program. Catherine Diktynna Talbot Ford
Cole K. Swaffield
Jing Wang
JOURNAL/MOOT COURT AWARDS
Journal Award Award Description Submit Nominations To:
Annual Survey of American Law Philip F. Cohen Award For the greatest contribution by a third-year editor to the Annual Survey of American Law during the past year. Bryce Bing Liu
Max S. Miller
Annual Survey of American Law Seymour A. Levy Memorial Award To a graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Annual Survey of American Law. Albin B. Quan
Annual Survey of American Law Norma Z. Paige Prize For the greatest contribution by an articles editor to the Annual Survey of American Law during the past year. Garrett M. Lukens
Environmental Law Journal Sive, Paget and Riesel Environmental Law Journal Award For outstanding contribution to the Environmental Law Journal by a third-year editor. Adelaide C. Duckett
Journal of International Law and Politics Journal of International Law and Politics Prize For the greatest contribution by a third-year editor to the Journal of International Law and Politics. YJ Lee
Journal of International Law and Politics Journal of International Law and Politics Prize To a graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Journal of International Law and Politics. Daniel J. Steinfeld
Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Prize For the greatest contribution by a third-year editor to the Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law. Meredith lea Elizabeth Phipps
Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Prize To a graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law. Sanghun A. Lee
Journal of Law and Business Flora S. and Jacob L. Newman Prize For the greatest contribution by a third-year editor to the Journal of Law & Business during the past year. Scott Patterson
Journal of Law and Business Flora S. and Jacob L. Newman Prize To a graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Journal of Law & Business. No 2025 Recipient
Journal of Law and Business NYU Pollack Center for Law and Business Award for Journal Achievement To a graduating editor and member of the Board of Editors, who has contributed to the Journal of Law & Business in an outstanding manner during the third year. Talia Lehecka Coyne
Journal of Law and Business NYU Pollack Center for Law and Business Award for Journal Distinction To a graduating editor, other than a senior editor, who has contributed to the Journal of Law & Business in an outstanding manner during the third year. Alexandra I. Fiol-Mahon
Journal of Law and Liberty Flora S. and Jacob L. Newman Prize For the greatest contribution by a third-year editor to the Journal of Law & Liberty. Dominic R. Marino
Journal of Law and Liberty Flora S. and Jacob L. Newman Prize To the graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Journal of Law & Liberty. No 2025 Recipient
Journal of Legislation and Public Policy Thomas Stoddard Award For the greatest contribution by a third-year editor to the Journal of Legislation and Public Policy. Anne K. Mills
Journal of Legislation and Public Policy Flora S. and Jacob L. Newman Prize To a graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Journal of Legislation and Public Policy. Daniel Walden Fisher
Law Review Edmond Cahn Law Review Award To a third-year editor other than a senior editor who has contributed to the Law Review in an outstanding fashion during the third year. Abraham E. Evans
Law Review Morton Geller Award To a third-year editor other than a senior editor who has contributed to the Law Review in an outstanding fashion during the third year. Jordan T. Battle
Law Review Paul D. Kaufman Memorial Award To a graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Law Review. Matthew A. Harris
Law Review Judge Rose L. and Herbert Rubin Law Review Prize To a graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Law Review in international, commercial, or public law. Adam J. Revello
Moot Court Board Chief Judge Judith Kaye '62 Editing Prize To the graduating student who has written an extraordinary Casebook problem and has gone above and beyond their required duties to support the NYU Moot Court Casebook. Anna Elizabeth Shepard
Moot Court Board Chief Judge Judith Kaye '62 Writing Prize To the graduating student who has written the second-best moot court problem for the NYU Moot Court Casebook. Jerome P. David
Moot Court Board Order of Barristers

The Order of Barristers is a national honorary organization devoted to the development of oral advocacy and brief-writing skills through law school appellate moot court programs.

Max J. Day
Luke T. Pluta-Ehlers
Rachel Schwartz
Anna Elizabeth Shepard
Emmett F. Tabor
Nicholas Eugene Tilmes
Isabelle Wechsler 
Gloria Siyue Zheng
Moot Court Board Jessup Team Award For participation as the representatives of NYU School of Law in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Gordon W. Ahl
Amy Cheng
Yuxin Feng
Aidan McGirr
Isabel M. Paolini
Moot Court Board National Moot Court Competition Award For participation as the representatives of NYU School of Law in a National Moot Court Competition.

Patience Taiwo Oluwajomiloju Adegboyega
Nathaniel D. Berman
Morgan Hale
Jodi M. Lessner
Rudraveer Vinay Reddy
John A. Upshaw

Moot Court Board Lawrence Green '77 Prize To a graduating student who has written the most outstanding moot court problem for the NYU Moot Court Casebook, and to the principal editor of that problem. Nathaniel D. Berman
Moot Court Board Mark Brisman '92 Moot Court Prize For a member of the graduating class who has made the most significant contribution to the Moot Court Board. Nicholas Eugene Tilmes
Review of Law and Social Change Flora S. and Jacob L. Newman Prize For the greatest contribution by a third-year editor to the Review of Law & Social Change. Schuyler H. Guare
Review of Law and Social Change Flora S. and Jacob L. Newman Prize To the graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Review of Law & Social Change. No 2025 Recipient
Review of Law and Social Change Review of Law and Social Change Innovation and Creativity Award To a graduating student who broadens the horizons of the Review of Law & Social Change and advances the mission of the journal. Amy Tapia Pass
Review of Law and Social Change Review of Law and Social Change Stewardship Award To a graduating student who has exhibited exemplary leadership with peers and colleagues on the Review of Law & Social Change in the service of producing the highest quality legal scholarship. Anagha Komaragiri
**Winner of the Robert B. McKay Prize will also be awarded the Wickersham Prize

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