Congratulations to the Recipients of the 2020 Student Awards!

 

Welcome

It is our great honor to celebrate the achievements and hard work of our students and student leaders at Denver Law. This year we celebrate over 150 student honorees receiving over 45 different awards that recognize our students for outstanding leadership, academic achievement, prolific writing, acute lawyering skills, zealous advocacy, and overall positive contribution to the law school. Each year, outstanding students leave a lasting impact on our law school community, and this year is no different even as students adapted to the challenges of COVID-19. We are ever-so-proud of our students and cannot thank them enough for their contributions to the Sturm College of Law.
 

Please join us in celebrating our 2020 Student Awards recipients by reading our digital program and viewing video remarks celebrating these students’ achievements.

Congratulations!

 

Student Achievement Awards

Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute Annual Prize                                    

Each year, the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute recognizes excellent students who demonstrate outstanding potential for impact in the sustainable development field. This award is given to the student(s) who make significant contributions to the work of RMLUI and the field of land use law. The cash prize is generously funded by Otten Johnson Robinson Neff + Ragonetti.

Maggie Coats  ∙  Matthew Grossi

 

Leonard v.B. Sutton Award                                                            

This award is for the best written paper in international law. The award affords the recipient the opportunity to attend The Hague Academy of International Law.

Rachel Blue

 

Irving P. Andrews Award for Outstanding Law Graduate

The late Irving P. Andrews was one of the most talented trial attorneys in Colorado. He was highly regarded for his masterful oratorical skills, keen intellect, commitment to excellence, strong dedication to under-served populations and an undying love of the law. The Sam Cary Bar Association established this award in the name of Irving P. Andrews to honor a law graduate who has demonstrated academic excellence, professionalism, integrity and respect for the rule of law.

Kiah Ellis

 

Christina Murray

 

Arnold P. Chutkow Award                                                          

This award is given to a student on the editorial board of the University of Denver Law Review who has demonstrated both academic achievement and service to the law school community.

Kelsi White

 

Public Good Distinction                                                             

The Public Good Distinction is an honor that Denver Law awards graduating students based upon their demonstrated commitment to public interest law throughout their legal education. Students devote at least 16 credits to public interest coursework and participate in a capstone course in their final year. This is the inaugural year of the distinction.

Ciara Anderson	Aidan Asplundh	Julia Bowman	Jesse Carey	Caroline Kelleigh Driscoll	Rebbecca Dumbleton
Kiah Ellis	Elena Engel	Kelsey Fairholm	Jacob Goldstein	Alice Hansen	Joshua Horman
Gideon Irving	Kellie Jenkins	Edwin LaMair	Kimberly Langona	Kelsey Layman	Grace Lundergan
Naomi Martin	Payton Martinez	Madeline Middlebrooks	Janelle Miller	Merrily Newcomb
Mckenna Newsum-Schoenberg	Luke Niermann	Andrea Pache	Desiree Palomares	Haley Price
Jenny Regier	Andrew Shulman	Taylor Volkman	Dylan Voneiff	Ashley Zurkan

 

Lawyering Process Awards

Reese Persuasive Writing Award                                      

This award is given to students with the best written briefs in the spring 2019 Lawyering Process program.

Stephanie Childress  ∙  Molly Clarke  ∙  Katelyn Clarke  ∙  Bradley Ecker  ∙  Anthony Gunnell 

Meralee Hoffelt  ∙  David Law  ∙  Sarah Quigley  ∙  Rebekah Reeser  ∙  Josh Sather

Thomas Swanson  ∙  Alex Thomas  ∙  Casey Weaver

 

Hartje Objective Writing Award                                       

This award is given to students with the best written memos in the fall 2019 Lawyering Process program.

Dana Bradley  ∙  Grace Bolt  ∙  Shannon Calhoun  ∙  Madeline Considine  ∙  Kaitlyn Dehmer 

Michelle Gaeng  ∙  Cassandra Gardner  ∙  Rebekah Glover  ∙  Heather Hodge  ∙  Marcella Keller

Emily Maino  ∙  Samuel Parker  ∙  Carolyn Welter  ∙  Breanne Wernars

 

Wilson Hurt Oral Argument Award                                  

This award is given to the students who delivered the best oral argument in the spring 2020 Lawyering Process program.

Kaitlyn Dehmer  ∙  Rebekah Glover  ∙  Lanny Holstein  ∙  Casey Morris

Kelly Lotterhos  ∙  Nicholas Moskevich  ∙  Carolyn Welter

 

Experiential Awards

Outstanding Student Lawyer – Civil Litigation Clinic                

Nathalie Kenny ∙ Eileen Webster

 

Outstanding Student Lawyer – Civil Rights Clinic      

Ciara Anderson

 

Outstanding Student Lawyer – Community Economic Development Clinic                        

Remi Ri'Chard

 

Outstanding Student Lawyer – Community Innovation Equity Project                       

Liza Sawyer

 

Outstanding Student Lawyer – Criminal Defense Clinic

Mckenna Newsum-Schoenberg ∙ Patricia Peña ∙ Young Shin

 

Outstanding Student Lawyer – Environmental Law Clinic              

Rachael Jaffe

 

Outstanding Student Lawyer – Immigration Law & Policy Clinic              

Kimberly Langona ∙ Grace Lundergan ∙ Jennifer Regier

 

Outstanding Student in a Judicial Externship                       

This award is given to a student who has demonstrated excellence in an externship in judicial chambers. The recipient has engaged in critical reflection about the legal profession, their legal career, and their priorities and values as a lawyer and as an individual. In addition, this student has produced high-quality work in the field, and has demonstrated professionalism and a strong work ethic.

Nicole King

 

Outstanding Student in a Private-Sector Externship          

This award is given to a student who has demonstrated excellence in an externship with a private firm. The recipient has engaged in critical reflection about the legal profession, their legal career, and their priorities and values as a lawyer and as an individual. In addition, this student has produced high-quality work in the field, and has demonstrated professionalism and a strong work ethic.

Elise Gordon

 

Outstanding Student in a Public-Sector Externship            

This award is given to a student who has demonstrated excellence in an externship with a nonprofit organization or government agency or entity. The recipient has engaged in critical reflection about the legal profession, their legal career, and their priorities and values as a lawyer and as an individual. In addition, this student has produced high-quality work in the field, and has demonstrated professionalism and a strong work ethic.

Jaycey DeHoyos

 

Excellence in Alternative Dispute Resolution

The students receiving this award are recognized for their outstanding skills in the areas of advocacy in international arbitration, client counseling, mediation, and mediation advocacy.

Adaku Marizu ∙ Rachel Neumann ∙ Joseph Whalen ∙ Laura Yeager

 

Excellence in International Arbitration        

This award is presented to students on the international arbitration moot teams who demonstrated outstanding oral advocacy, contribute to development of the international law program, and show an overall mastery of international arbitration.

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Excellence in Transactional Skills                                        

This award recognizes those students who have demonstrated a clear understanding and achievement of the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to succeed as a business lawyer in a transactional law practice. In particular, students will have attained general corporate law knowledge, corporate drafting skills, merger and acquisition knowledge, financial literacy, negotiation skills, and critical deal skills.

 

Kelsey Kubiak

 

Sean Magraw

 

Shelley Ormsby

 

Kaley Rickert

 

LLM and Masters Programs Awards

Outstanding Master of Science in Legal Administration Graduate      

This award is presented to a graduating student in the Master of Science in Legal Administration program for outstanding academic achievement and mastery of the subject.

Stephal Aban  ∙  Rachel Drechsler

 

Outstanding Master of Legal Studies Graduate      

This award is presented to a graduating student in the Master of Legal Studies program for outstanding academic achievement and mastery of the subject.

Mariana Diaz  ∙  Alexandra Stuart

 

Outstanding American Law Practice LLM Graduate

This award is presented to a graduating student in the American Law Practice program for outstanding academic achievement and mastery of the subject.

Cristopher Muñoz Peña

 

Outstanding International Business Transactions LLM Graduate

This award is presented to a graduating student in the International Business Transactions program for outstanding academic achievement and mastery of the subject.

Asem Alhudaithi

 

Outstanding Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Policy Graduates

This award is presented to a graduating student in both the Master of Legal Studies and Master of Laws Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Policy programs for outstanding academic achievement and mastery of the subject.

Fraser McCallum

 

Rodrigo Sanz Lacaux

 

Student Bar Association Awards

The Student Bar Association Awards are awarded to students, faculty, and staff that are nominated and elected by the student body.

 

Student Leadership Awards

Most Innovative Program Award

This award recognizes a student who has implemented a new program or significantly modified an existing program which better serves the law school community.

Claire Pakis

 

Justin Vanderveer

 

Inclusive Excellence Award

This award is presented to a student who models inclusivity and has demonstrated a commitment to diversity through service and programming. These individuals bring diverse perspectives to the Sturm College of Law community.

Hayden DePorter

 

Cybelle Floyd

 

Student Leadership Award

These awards are given to students who have fulfilled two of the three following criteria: 1) initiated a new student program or organization; 2) significantly improved an existing program; or 3) demonstrated leadership by contributing considerable time, resources, and talents to the law school community.

Jacob Goldstein

 

Katherine Googins

 

Naomi Martin

 

Christina Murray

 

Tatum Perez

 

Andrew Shulman

 

Alex Thomas

 

Outstanding Leadership Award       

This award is presented to a graduating student who has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the law school through consistent service to student organizations, and/or has demonstrated extraordinary community involvement on behalf of the Sturm College of Law.

Gideon Irving

 

Order of the Coif Candidates

The Order of the Coif is an honorary scholastic society recognizing those who, as law students, attained a high grade of scholarship. Students eligible for membership must have attained a grade record ranking in the upper 10 percent of all students in their graduating class. The honors and Order of the Coif listings are tentative and reflect grade point averages after the first five semesters. Final determination of Order of the Coif will occur after all 2019-2020 academic year grades are recorded.

Congratulations to the newest presumptive members of the Order of the Coif for the 2019-2020 academic year:

 

Juris Doctor Academic Distinction Awards

Clarence L. Bartholic Highest Grade in Legal Profession Award                     

This award was initiated by the Brewer Inn of Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity, which promotes professional ethics. This award honors students who achieved the highest grade in Legal Profession during the prior calendar year (2018). Mr. Bartholic, after whom the award is named, was a 1925 alumnus of the Sturm College of Law.

Meagan Fackler ∙ Katie Kellett ∙ Kelsey Layman ∙ Benjamin Lutter

Zigmas Polinauskas ∙ Emily Staker

 

Howard Jenkins, Jr. Labor Law Award                  

This award is given to the student who received the highest grade in Labor Law.

Benjamin Lutter

 

John Phillip Linn Labor Law Award                         

This award is given to a graduating student whose interest, activities, and scholarship manifest an ability to make an outstanding contribution to Labor and Employment Law.

Kellie Jenkins 

 

Melanie Hardaway Memorial Award for Outstanding Graduate

This award is given to graduating student(s) in the top five percent of the class who have made the greatest overall contribution to the law school.

Anna Dykema

Prof. Hardaway sent a personal letter to the recipient in lieu of a video.

 

Harry Clayton Davis Award                                                

This award is given annually to a student who has made the greatest overall academic progress during their law school career.

Ashley Becker

 

Kenneth L. Smith Award                                                     

This prize is awarded to the students who earned the highest grade point averages during their academic tenure at the Sturm College of Law.

Full-Time Division: Jennifer Regier

Part-Time Division: Sydney Donovan