Dear Law School Community,

What an honor it is to celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of our students and faculty on this year’s Awards Day! Their dedication, hard work, and achievements not only elevate our academic community, but also set a standard of excellence for us all. Please join me in celebrating their accomplishments and commending them for a job well done.

Sincerely,

Usha R. Rodrigues
Dean & University Professor
M.E. Kilpatrick Professor of Corporate & Securities Law
University of Georgia School of Law

 

2026 Awards Day Program

 

Student Awards

American College of Bankruptcy Distinguished Bankruptcy Law Student from the Eleventh Circuit Nominee

John Arnold

Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund Award for Excellence in the Study of Real Estate Law

Will Hankins

Carol E. Morgan Award for Excellence in the Study of Business Law and Ethics

Jessie Thompson

Bohdan Krivuts

Class of 1933 Torts Law Award Spring 2025 Section Y

Deymon Fleming, Jr.

Class of 1933 Torts Law Award Fall 2025 Section Y

Brooke Hemingway

Class of 1933 Torts Law Award Spring 2025 Section Z

Eli Werbel

Class of 1933 Torts Law Award Fall 2025 Section Z

Ted Wilson

Dan MacDougald Memorial Award for First Honor Graduate

Joseph M. Colley

Donald P. Gilmore, Jr. Memorial Award for Excellence in the Study of Labor & Employment Law

Cade H. Mataya

Edward J. Henning Memorial ADR Award

Brooke Raniere

Ellen R. Jordan Award for Outstanding Public Interest Student

Charlotte Louise Umanoff

Georgia Defense Lawyers Association Willis J. “Dick” Richardson, Jr. Student Award for

Excellence in Georgia Practice and Procedure

Savannah Stanley

Georgia Association for Women Lawyers Outstanding Student Award Nominee

Catherine Sheridan

National Association of Women Lawyers Outstanding Student Award Nominee

Rosalie Josephine Vendrell

Georgia Municipal Association Municipal Corporations Award

Benjamin A. Privitera

Isaac Meinhard Award for Highest Academic Average

Joseph M. Colley

John C. O’Byrne Award for Excellence in the Study of Taxation

Robert J. Saunders

Julian McDonnell Award for Excellence in the Study of Commercial Law

Margaret Camfield

Kerry Harike Joedecke Memorial Award for Excellence Outstanding Moot Court Board Member

Haley Maddison Hughes

Law School Alumni Council Award for Exceptional Diligence and Dedication in the Study of Law,

2nd to 3rd Year Class of 2025

Gloria Maria Correa

Law School Alumni Council Award for Exceptional Diligence and Dedication in the Study of Law,

1st to 2nd Year Class of 2026

Andrea Kydd

Law School Alumni Council Award for Highest Academic Average, Class of 2026

Jessie Thompson

Law School Alumni Council Award for Highest Academic Average, Class of 2027

John Bennett Stover

Ronald Carlson Award for Excellence in Evidence Advocacy

Morgan Pfohl

Ronald Carlson Rising Advocate Award

Sawyer Bradford

Shelley D. Knox Award for Outstanding Public Interest Student

Kellianne E. Elliot

The Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Custer-Tuggle Award

for Excellence in Family Law

Isabel Archer

The State Bar of Georgia Environmental Law Section Award

Tamaris MaeKenzie Henderson

The State Bar of Georgia Real Property Section Award Nominees

Porter Alexander Tynes, III

Gordon Carrol Wayne

The State Bar of Georgia Tax Section Outstanding Student Award

John W. Donnelly

Verner F. Chaffin Award for Excellence in the Study of Fiduciary Law Spring 2025

Jesse Leo Sebring

Verner F. Chaffin Award for Excellence in the Study of Fiduciary Law Fall 2025

Elijah Ted Echols

Weinberg, Wheeler, Hudgins, Gunn & Dial, LLP Award for Outstanding Mock Trial Advocate

Kaylah Holmes

Weinberg, Wheeler, Hudgins, Gunn & Dial, LLP Award for Outstanding Moot Court Advocate

Casey E. Smith

William King Meadow Award

Chan Creswell

 

National Order of Barristers

The Order of Barristers is a national honorary organization whose purpose is the encouragement of oral advocacy and brief writing skills through effective law school oral advocacy programs. The Order seeks to improve these programs through interscholastic sharing of ideas, information and resources. The Order also provides national recognition for individuals who have excelled in advocacy and service at their respective schools for successful participation in regional, national and international interscholastic advocacy competitions.

Class of 2026 Inductees

Emma Rose Bagwell

Elizabeth Neal Burns

Chan Creswell

Maya Elaina Marie Davis

Dresden Day

Brianna House

Taylor Hoying

Kerolls “Kero” Gadelrab

Antavious McCarden

Eric Anton Narbo

 

Order of the Coif

The Order of the Coif is an honorary scholastic society, the purpose of which is to encourage excellence in legal education by fostering a spirit of careful study, recognizing those who as law students excelled in their studies and honoring those who as lawyers, judges and teachers attained high distinction for their scholarly or professional accomplishments.

Class of 2025 Inductees

Amelia Patrick Arant

Nicodemus Boggs

Joseph M. Colley

Christian Noah Futch

Joshua Lee Horn

Amanda Katherine Horton

Elizabeth Grace Lane

Anna Carolina Mares

Brandtley Vickery Mohr

Nicholas Barron Nelson

Genevieve L. Pfister

Zachary D. Poppe

Sarah Quarles

Brennan Rose

Abigail Sawyer

Jennifer Anne Sluka

Taylor Stablein

Steven Trent Swinehart Jr.

Emily Tracy

Joseph P. Will 

Casey Elizabeth Wofford 

 

Faculty Awards

2026 Student Bar Association Faculty and Staff Awards

Faculty Marshal(s)

Nathan Chapman

Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge

Eleanor C. Lanier Award for Excellence in Clinical Education

Jessica L. Heywood (J.D.’97)

Carol A. Watson Award for Outstanding Legal Research or Writing Instructor

Jean Mangan (J.D.’11)

C. Ronald Ellington Award for Excellence in Teaching

Elizabeth Burch

John C. O’Byrne Memorial Award for Significant Contributions Furthering Student-Faculty Relations

David E. Shipley

Lonnie T. Brown, Jr. Professionalism Award

Matthew Hall

Student Bar Association Award for Outstanding Staff Member

Nikko Terry