Our Commencement is one of those moments when the law school community gets to pause and recognize what the members of the Class of 2015 have meant to the law school.

As shown by the award winners below, there is incredible talent and passion in this class, and the breadth and depth of the student work is exceptional.

The William Strobel Thomas Prize is awarded to the graduate who has taken at least 75 percent or his or her school credits at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law and who is recognized by the faculty has having achieved the highest average for scholarship.

Laura Koman

The John L. Thomas Prize is awarded to the graduate who has been enrolled in the School for his or her entire law school education and who has achieved the second highest average for scholarship.

Elizabeth Rinehart

Summa cum laude graduates

Rebecca Berger
Robert Christoffel
Laura Koman
Stephen Rigg
Susan Schipper

Magna cum laude graduates

Morgan Arons
Daniel Borman
Ryan Bounds
Brett Burka
Lucia Cook
Todd Colliton
Amy Dobrzynski
Alyssa Domzal
Sean Gugerty
Bethany Henneman
Hilary Jacobs
Elizabeth Johnson
Stephanie Klock
Jessica Kyle
David Lewis
Gabriel Maldoff
Richard Medoff
Helki Philipsen
Megan Raker
Elizabeth Rinehart
Marc Salvia
William Young, Jr.

The Order of the Coif is awarded to the top 10 percent of students who attended the law school for at least 75 percent of their legal education. The Order encourages excellence in legal education by fostering a spirit of careful study, recognizing those who as law students attained a high grade of scholarship, and honoring those who as lawyers, judges, and teachers attained high distinction for their scholarly or professional accomplishments.

Morgan Arons
Rebecca Berger
Daniel Borman
Ryan Bounds
Brett Burka
Lucia Cook
Todd Colliton
Amy Dobrzynski
Alyssa Domzal
Sean Gugerty
Bethany Henneman
Hilary Jacobs
Elizabeth Johnson
Stephanie Klock
Laura Koman
Jessica Kyle
David Lewis
Gabriel Maldoff
Richard Medoff
Helki Philipsen
Megan Raker
Stephen Rigg
Elizabeth Rinehart
Marc Salvia
Susan Schipper
William Young, Jr.

The Sam Allen Memorial Prize, established by the day division Class of 1950 in memory of classmate Harry Samuel Allen, is awarded annually to a member of the graduating class deemed to have demonstrated outstanding qualities of both leadership and scholarship.

Laura Koman and Elizabeth Rinehart

The Roger Howell Achievement Award, established by the day division Class of 1961, is presented annually to an outstanding member of the graduating class who has contributed significantly to the student activities program and whose leadership, scholarship, and moral character are representative of the high ideals of the legal profession.

Michael Levin and Nicholas Rodriguez

The Law School Alumni Association Award has been awarded by the Law School Alumni Association since 1971. The prize is awarded to the graduating student deemed by the faculty to have contributed most largely to the School through his or her qualities of character and leadership.

Kelsey-anne Fung

The Larry P. Shoda Award is given annually to a member of the graduating class who has achieved scholastic excellence and demonstrated the special commitment required of evening students.

Kara Citarella

Elizabeth Maxwell Carroll Chesnut Prize is given to a member of the graduating class for good scholarship in a broad sense, as determined by the Dean of the School of Law based on recommendations from members of the faculty

Jessica Kyle

The Public Service Award is given to several graduating students who, during their law school careers, have engaged in legal work that significantly advances the public interest.

Jessica Boltz
Ryan Bounds
Nicole Burnette
Opeyemi Coker
Renee Connor
Andrew Geltman
Julia Hall
Christina Lauderdale
Cody Mason
Shamarla McCoy
Jo McLean
Richard Medoff
Randall Morris
Bryan Riordan
Theresa Romero
Mellissa Sager
Ashley Woolard

The William P. Cunningham Awards are presented annually to graduating students selected by the faculty for exceptional achievements and service to the School.

Rebecca Berger
Daniel Borman
Shannon Byrne
Frederick Curtis, II
Rhonda Dinkins
Nikita Floore
Brittani Gordon
Sean Gugerty
Ethan Han
Lindsey Imus
Jamie Lee
Roy Pike
Nigah Mughal
Katherine O'Konski
Megan Raker
Stephen Rigg
Joella Roland
Susan Schipper
Benjamin Smith
Stephen Thomas, Jr.
Trevonne Walford
Denise Williams

THE ORDER OF THE BARRISTERS honors 10 students who excel in trial and appellate advocacy.

Emily Bolyard
Michelle Dian
Stephanie Klock
Connie Lee
Cody Mason
Richard Medoff
Douglas Sampson
Susan Schipper
Akeel St. Jean
Trevonne Walford

THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND SCHOOL OF LAW LITIGATION AND ADVOCACY AWARD, established in 2007, is given annually to graduating students selected by the faculty for their contribution to the School's achievements in intra- and interschool appellate competition.

Michael Brown
Nicole Burnette
Christopher Chaulk
Opeyemi Coker
Alyssa Domzal
Nia Duggins
Julia Hall
Sadé Newson
Bianca M. Pinnock
Mellissa Sager
Stephen Thomas, Jr.
Guillermo Vallejo
Justin Wallace
Anitra Washington

CLINIC AWARD RECIPIENTS

Anne Barlow Gallagher Prize for Service to Children and Youth is awarded by the clinical faculty to the graduating student who has performed outstanding work benefiting youth and children.

Stephanie Klock

The Hoffberger Clinical Law Prize was established in 1986 by Leroy Hoffberger, a 1950 graduate of the law school, and is awarded annually to an outstanding member of the graduating class who has excelled as a student lawyer in the Clinical Law Program.

Danica Buck and Lila Meadows

The Community Scholar Prize is presented to a graduate who provided outstanding assistance to a Maryland community or neighborhood.

Hilary Jacobs and Jo McLean

The Ward Kershaw Clinical Advocacy Prize was established in 1990 through the generosity of the partners of Ward, Kershaw & Minton, P.A. to recognize students who excel in client advocacy through their work in the Clinical Law Office at the School of Law.

Marc Salvia (2015)
Nicholas Rodriguez and Susan Schipper (2014)

The CLEA Outstanding Student Award was created by the Clinical Law Education Association to honor one law student at each law school who has excelled in a clinical course. The award is given annually at the completion of the academic year.

Jeffrey Johnson

THE JOSEPH BERNSTEIN AWARDS are awarded annually to the graduating students who, as judged by the faculty advisor, submitted the most significant piece of legal writing for publication in each of the University of Maryland Carey School of Law student-edited journals.

Journal of Business & Technology Law

Jamie Lee
“An Un(frand)ly Game: Preventing Patent Hold-Up by Improving Standardization”

Journal of Race, Religion, Gender and Class

Jaclyn Machometa
“Round up the Usual Suspects: Advocating for Leniency on Consensual, Teenage Sext Offenses”

Maryland Law Review

‌Elizabeth Rinehart
“Clapper v. Amnesty International USA: Allowing the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 to Turn "Incidentally" into "Certainly", 73 Md. L. Rev. 1018 (2014)”

Susan Schipper
“Bad Medicine: FTC v. Actavis, Inc. and the Missed Opportunity to Resolve the Pay-for-Delay Problem, 73 Md. L. Rev. 1240 (2014)”

Maryland Journal of International Law

Jordan Reth
“Just Your Run-of-the-Mill Sovereign Debt Crisis: An Analysis of Republic of Argentina v. NML Capital, Ltd.”

Journal of Health Care Law & Policy

Andrew Geltman
“Defusing the Bug Bomb: Legal Strategies to Combat Antibiotic Resistant Infections, 18 J. Health Care L. & Pol’y 115 (2015)”

PAUL CORDISH WRITING COMPETITION AWARDS
This Competition and award was established by David Cordish '63, in honor of his father, Paul L. Cordish, founder of The Cordish Company, and by the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA), of which Paul Cordish was also a founder and, for many years, the general counsel. Prizes are given annually to the students who write the best paper on a topic related to public insurance adjusting.

1^st place – Kellsi Wallace 2L, “On Wearing Two Hats: Exploring The Precarious Position Created By Public Adjusters Testifying As Expert Witnesses If Their Fees Are Percentage Based”

2^nd place – Neha Patel ‘15, “Exploring the Constitutionality of Public Adjuster Fee Caps.”

3^rd place – Amy Rappole 2L, “An Analysis of the Constitutionality of Percentage Fee Caps for Public Adjusters: Utilizing Information and Precedents on Contingency Fee Caps for Medical Malpractice to Make Recommendations for Future Action by Public Adjusters”