Congratulations to the Recipients of the 2025 Student Awards!
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 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. 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 2025 Student Awards recipients by reading our digital program and viewing video remarks celebrating these students’ achievements.
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.
This award is for the best paper in international law and consists of a cash award and the opportunity to attend the Hague Academy of International Law this summer.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
This award is presented to a graduating student in the Master of Legal Studies program for outstanding academic achievement and mastery of the subject.
This award is presented to a graduating student in the American Law Practice LLM Graduate Award program for outstanding academic achievement and mastery of the subject.
This award is presented to a graduating student in the International Business Transactions LLM Graduate Award program for outstanding academic achievement and mastery of the subject.
This award recognizes students who have implemented a new program or significantly modified an existing program which better serves the law school community.
This award is presented to students who model inclusivity and have demonstrated a commitment to diversity through service and programming. These individuals bring diverse perspectives to the Sturm College of Law community.
Zane McNeill • Megan Ramos • Linda Wang
Student award presentation videos are below. Click the ℹ︎ icon in the upper right corner of the video preview for information about the recipient and presenter.
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.
Mike Barlow-Roach • Deanna Davila • Samantha Duvall • Jonathon Hill • Krista Jolivette • Mikayla Lee • Misty Schlabaugh
Student award presentation videos are below. Click the ℹ︎ icon in the upper right corner of the video preview for information about the recipient and presenter.
This award is presented to graduating students who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the law school through consistent service to student organizations, and/or have demonstrated extraordinary community involvement on behalf of the Sturm College of Law.
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. Mr. Bartholic, after whom the award is named, was a 1925 alumnus of the Sturm College of Law.
Laura Gottesfeld • Nick McGraw • Carolyn Payne • Angelica Perez • Lauren Reddington • Carly Regal • Maria Stathopoulos
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. These students will receive personal letters from Professor Robert Hardaway.
