The School of Law honored four individuals for their service during the school's Fifth Annual Alumni/Alumnae Weekend. Kathelen Van Blarcum Amos, William Porter "Billy" Payne and Harold D. Melton received the law school alumni/alumnae association's highest honor - the Distinguished Service Scroll - for their outstanding dedication and service to the legal profession and the law school. Additionally Mercedes G. Ball was presented with the Young Alumni/Alumnae of Excellence Award.
The Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach will recognize eight faculty and staff members for outstanding service to the state and UGA. The School of Law's Associate Professor & Veterans Legal Clinic Director Alexander W. Scherr will receive the Engaged Scholar Award, which recognizes a tenured faculty member for contributions to advancing public service, outreach and community engagement at UGA with emphasis on endeavors such as engaged research and scholarship that is conducted for the benefit of, and in partnership with, a community; curricular engagement of students in academic service-learning courses; or mutually beneficial community-university partnerships that address critical community needs.
Congratulations to third-year student Madeline McElhanon and second-year student Ethan J. Rode who placed second on the seller side in the Duke Law Transactional Law Competition. This contest involved drafting a mergers and acquisitions document and marking up the other side's document prior to the competition and then negotiating the terms of the agreement at the tournament. Third-year student Seth Johnson assisted with drafting and served as student coach for the team.
The University of Georgia School of Law took home the top trophy in the Intrastate Moot Court Competition for the second year in a row and the seventh time in 10 years. Second-year law students Huel M. "Kip" O'Kelley IV, S. Frances Plunkett and Justin C. Van Orsdol captured the title for UGA and also won the Best Brief Award. All five law schools in Georgia field two teams in this annual Peach State courtroom contest. The law school's second team, comprised of second-year students Eric S. Abney, Addison Smith and Georgia L. Turner, finished as semifinalists. They were coached by third-year students Thomas Grantham and Timia Skelton.
The School of Law's Lonnie T. Brown Jr., A. Gus Cleveland Distinguished Chair of Legal Ethics and Professionalism, is one of five University of Georgia faculty members who have been named Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professors, the highest university recognition for excellence in instruction.