Academic Awards, Overall Achievement Awards, and Awards for Service to the Law School
Convocation awards are given to graduating JD and LLM students who have excelled in their overall scholarship or in community service while at the Law School.
The deadline to submit all award nominations is Monday, February 17, 2025.
You may view more details about each award below:
ACADEMIC AWARDS
| Category | Award | Award Description | Submit Nominations To: |
| Academic Awards | Martin Lipton University Graduation Prize | To the student with the highest academic average based on five semesters. | N/A |
| Academic Awards | Law Review Alumni Association Award | To the student with the second-highest academic average based on five semesters. | N/A |
| Academic Awards | Law Review Alumni Association Award | To the student with the third-highest academic average based on five semesters. | N/A |
| Academic Awards | David H. Moses Memorial Prize | To the member of the LLM class with the highest academic average. |
N/A |
SCHOLARSHIP & ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARDS (JD only)
Successful nominees for the overall achievement awards will typically have a GPA of 3.5 or above or demonstrate academic excellence by earning an A+ in one or more courses.
| Category | Award | Award Description | Submit Nominations To: |
| Overall Achievement | Benjamin F. Butler Memorial Award | For exemplary distinction in scholarship, character, and integrity. In addition to superior academic achievement, the recipient demonstrates exemplary character and integrity during their time at NYU School of Law. | |
| Overall Achievement | George P. Foulk Memorial Award | For distinguished academic performance and extracurricular activities. In addition to excellence in academic endeavors, the recipient demonstrates exceptional leadership in their extracurricular professional endeavors at NYU School of Law and/or in the legal community | Submit Nominations Here |
| Overall Achievement | Maurice Goodman Memorial Prize | For outstanding academic achievement and scholarship. This recipient demonstrates their passion for the law through intense study of a subject area resulting in publication in a scholarly journal. The recipient exhibits the promise to become a thought leader within the legal community. | Submit Nominations Here |
| Overall Achievement | Frank H. Sommer Memorial Award | For exceptional distinction in scholarship and professional excellence. This award is for a student who has achieved exceptional academic distinction and demonstrated professional excellence through participation in community or extracurricular activities. | Submit Nominations Here |
VANDERBILT MEDALS AND DEAN JOHN SEXTON PRIZE (JD & LLM, Service to the Law School)
Vanderbilt Medals and the Dean John Sexton Prize are designed to recognize students who have made a significant contribution to our community. Specifically, Vanderbilt Medals are given to several students for "outstanding contributions to the School of Law" and the Dean John Sexton Prize to a "law student whose outstanding service to the Law School community exemplifies the values of Dean Sexton."
| Category | Award | Award Description | Submit Nominations To: |
| Community Service | Vanderbilt Medals | For outstanding contributions to the NYU School of Law. This award is for students especially active in the Law School or the greater legal community. These students distinguish themselves through leadership in student organizations, community organizations and/or public service initiatives. Like its namesake, former Dean Arthur Vanderbilt, these recipients demonstrate leadership and vision in their endeavors during their time at the Law School. | |
| Community Service | Dean John Sexton Prize | To a law student whose outstanding community service to the NYU School of Law exemplifies the values of Dean Sexton. This award is for the student who clearly demonstrates a love for the Law School. Like Dean Sexton, this student’s time at the Law School was spent building community and fostering relationships across varying groups of people. The recipient continues the tradition of warmth, collegiality, and community within the Law School fostered by Dean Sexton. | Submit Nominations Here |
SUBJECT AREA & SPECIALIZATION AWARDS (JD & LLM)
Subject area awards are conferred for outstanding achievement in various fields of law. These awards are based on scholarly or other excellence of the type described and can include superior quality work on a paper or note.
| Category | Award | Award Description | Submit Nominations To: |
| Administrative | Administrative Law Prize | To a student who has demonstrated excellence in the field of administrative law. | Convener TBA |
| Antitrust | Betty Bock Prize in Competition Policy | To a graduating student who has produced an outstanding paper in the field of antitrust law and policy, with preference given to a paper of excellence not only in theory and concept but also in the tradition of taking facts seriously. | Convener TBA |
| Civil Procedure | Weinfeld Prize for Scholarship in Procedure and Courts | Designated by the dean for distinguished scholarship in the area of federal courts, civil procedure and practice, evidence and/or trial practice. | Convener TBA |
| Clinic | Christian Jarecki '98 Memorial Prize | For outstanding work and commitment in a law clinic. | Deborah Archer |
| Clinic | Ann Petluck Poses Memorial Prize | Designated by the dean in recognition of outstanding work in a clinical course requiring student practice. | |
| Comparative | Howard Greenberger Award | For outstanding achievement in the area of comparative law. | Philip Alston |
| Competition, Innovation, and Information | Frank T. Diersen Prize | For distinction in the LLM Competition, Innovation and Information Law program. | Convener TBA |
| Constitutional | Leonard M. Henkin Prize | For an article or note on the equal rights portion of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. | Deborah Archer |
| Constitutional | Robert B. McKay Prize in Constitutional Law** | To a student who has demonstrated excellence in constitutional law throughout their years at the NYU School of Law. | Convener TBA |
| Contracts | Daniel G. Collins Prize | To a member of the graduating class who has demonstrated excellence in the area of contract law. | Convener TBA |
| Corporate Compliance and Enforcement | Corporate Compliance and Enforcement Prize | To a student who has demonstrated excellence in the areas of corporate compliance, corporate enforcement, or individual liability for corporate crime or regulatory violations. | Jennifer Arlen |
| Corporation | George Colin Award |
For distinction in the LLM Corporation Law program. | Submit Nomination Here |
| Criminal | Jim Goldfarb '72 Criminal Defense Award | To the JD student who best embodies the spirit and values of Jim Goldfarb '72 through their commitment and work towards social justice through Criminal Defense. | Vincent Southerland |
| Criminal | Judge Abraham Lieberman Award | For outstanding scholarship in the area of criminal law. | Rachel Barkow |
| Economics | Law and Economics Prize | To a student who has demonstrated excellence in the area of law and economics. | Jennifer Arlen |
| Employment | NYU Center for Labor and Employment Prize | For excellence in employment and employee benefits law. | Samuel Estreicher |
| Entertainment | Jack J. Katz Memorial Award | To a student who has demonstrated excellence in the field of entertainment law. | Samuel Estreicher |
| Environmental | Environmental Law Prize | To a student who has demonstrated excellence in the field of environmental law. | Convener TBA |
| Environmental | Environmental Law Prize | For distinction in the LLM Environmental Law program. |
Convener TBA |
| Ethics | Leonard J. Schreier Memorial Prize | To a law student who has exhibited academic excellence in the area of ethics. | Convener TBA |
Evidence |
David Friedman Memorial Award | For outstanding achievement in evidence. | Erin Murphy |
| Human Rights | International Human Rights Award | To a student with an outstanding academic record in the field of international human rights law. | Convener TBA |
| IBRLA | International Business Regulation, Litigation, and Arbitration Award | For distinction in the IBRLA program. | Franco Ferrari |
| Intellectual Property | Walter J. Derenberg | For outstanding achievement in the area of intellectual property law. | Office of Student Affairs |
| International | Jerome Lipper Award | For distinction in the LLM International Legal Studies program. | Benedict Kingsbury |
| International | Jerome Lipper Prize | For outstanding work in the field of international law. | Benedict Kingsbury |
| Jewish/Israeli Relations | Chuna David and Rose Estreicher Memorial Prize | To a law student who has shown the greatest promise in the study of issues confronting the Jewish/Israeli peoples. | Samuel Estreicher |
| LACA | Clinical Service Convocation Award | Awarded to a graduating member of APALSA, BALSA, LaLSA, MELSA, or SALSA who is an outstanding member of a clinic, has proven their dedication to public service, and plans to pursue a career in public interest law. | View Nomination Requirements Here |
| LACA | Kim Barry '98 Memorial Convocation Prize | Awarded to a graduating member of APALSA, BALSA, LaLSA, MELSA, or SALSA who has demonstrated a commitment to international and human rights work and exhibits academic excellence in the best tradition of Kim Barry. | View Nomination Requirements Here |
| LACA | Public Service Convocation Prize | Awarded to a graduating member of APALSA, BALSA, LaLSA, MELSA, or SALSA who has proven their dedication to public service and who plans to pursue a career in public interest law. | View Nomination Requirements Here |
| LACA | Calisha Myers '15 Memorial Convocation Award |
Awarded to a graduating JD member of the AnBryce Scholarship Program, Law Review, APALSA, BALSA, LaLSA, MELSA, SALSA, or Women of Color Collective (WoCC) who exemplifies the values and ideals by which Calisha lived her life at NYU Schoo Law School—leadership, humility, mentorship, and community service. |
View Nomination Requirements Here |
| Law and Business | Charles D. Klein '63 Law and Business Award | For demonstrated excellence in combining the analysis of legal issues and business issues. | Gerald Rosenfeld and Florencia Marotta-Wurgler |
| Law and Business | NYU Pollack Center for Law and Business SEED Award for Original Research | For excellence in self-directed research utilizing the NYU Securities Enforcement Empirical Database. | Anat Carmy-Wiechman |
| Law and Social Enterprise | White & Case Award in Law & Social Entrepreneurship |
For academic excellence and demonstration of a strong commitment to the field of law and social entrepreneurship. |
Deborah Burand |
| Law Education | Aleta Estreicher Graduation Prize | To the JD student who best displays the potential for effective, dedicated, humane law teaching in the spirit of Professor Aleta G. Estreicher (Bryn Mawr '70, Columbia Law School '81). | Helen Hershkoff |
| Law Women/ WoCC | Jeannie Forrest Women in Leadership Award | To a graduating student member of Law Women or the Women of Color Collective who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and initiative during their time at NYU School of Law. | |
| LLM | George Colin Award | For distinction in the Traditional LLM program. |
Submit Nomination Here |
| Philosophy | John Bruce Moore Award | To a third-year JD student who has demonstrated excellence in the area of law and philosophy. | Jeremy Waldron |
| Public Service | Eric Dean Bender Prize | For a third-year student who has demonstrated a working commitment to a public service-oriented cause or project outside of and separate from NYU School of Law commitments. | |
| Public Service | Public Interest Prize for LLMs | For an LLM student who has demonstrated a clear commitment to a public service-oriented cause or project outside of and separate from any NYU School of Law or admission requirement. | |
| Public Service | Carol Robles-Román '89 Equal Justice Award | To the student who has demonstrated a deep commitment to championing equal justice and diversity in the legal profession. The graduate will have demonstrated such commitment during law school with plans to enter public service or non-profit and community-based legal advocacy after graduation. | Office of Student Affairs |
| Race Relations | Gary E. Moncrieffe Award | To the most outstanding student in the area of racism and the law. | Deborah Archer |
| Real Estate | Morris R. Henkin Prize | To a student who has demonstrated excellence in the area of real estate. | Convener TBA |
| Rights of People with Disabilities | Jessica Klurfeld Prize | Awarded annually for an excellent student paper or clinical work concerning the rights of individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. |
Convener TBA |
| Social Justice | Holly Maguigan Social Justice Award | For the member of the graduating JD class with demonstrated potential and passion for advocating on behalf of vulnerable populations and advancing gender, class, and racial justice. | Helen Hershkoff |
| Sports and Entertainment | Larry Fleisher Memorial Foundation Prize | For extraordinary achievement in the area of sports and entertainment law. | Samuel Estreicher |
| Taxation |
David F. Bradford Memorial Prize |
To a student who has written the best paper in the field of taxation. | |
| Taxation | Flora S. and Jacob L. Newman Award | For distinction in the LLM International Tax program. | David Rosenbloom |
| Taxation | Harry J. Rudick Memorial Award | To a JD student who has demonstrated excellence in taxation throughout their years at NYU School of Law. | Mitchell Kane |
| Taxation | Harry J. Rudick Memorial Award | For distinction in the LLM Tax Program. | Brant Hellwig |
JOURNAL/MOOT COURT AWARDS
| Journal | Award | Award Description | Submit Nominations To: |
| Annual Survey of American Law | Philip F. Cohen Award | For the greatest contribution by a third-year editor to the Annual Survey of American Law during the past year. | N/A |
| Annual Survey of American Law | Seymour A. Levy Memorial Award | To a graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Annual Survey of American Law. | N/A |
| Annual Survey of American Law | Norma Z. Paige Prize | For the greatest contribution by an articles editor to the Annual Survey of American Law during the past year. | N/A |
| Environmental Law Journal | Sive, Paget and Riesel Environmental Law Journal Award | For outstanding contribution to the Environmental Law Journal by a third-year editor. | N/A |
| Journal of International Law and Politics | Journal of International Law and Politics Prize | For the greatest contribution by a third-year editor to the Journal of International Law and Politics. | N/A |
| Journal of International Law and Politics | Journal of International Law and Politics Prize | To a graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Journal of International Law and Politics. | N/A |
| Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law | Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Prize | For the greatest contribution by a third-year editor to the Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law. | N/A |
| Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law | Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Prize | To a graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Journal of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law. | N/A |
| Journal of Law and Business | Flora S. and Jacob L. Newman Prize | For the greatest contribution by a third-year editor to the Journal of Law & Business during the past year. | N/A |
| Journal of Law and Business | Flora S. and Jacob L. Newman Prize | To a graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Journal of Law & Business. | N/A |
| Journal of Law and Business | NYU Pollack Center for Law and Business Award for Journal Achievement | To a graduating editor and member of the Board of Editors, who has contributed to the Journal of Law & Business in an outstanding manner during the third year. | N/A |
| Journal of Law and Business | NYU Pollack Center for Law and Business Award for Journal Distinction | To a graduating editor, other than a senior editor, who has contributed to the Journal of Law & Business in an outstanding manner during the third year. | N/A |
| Journal of Law and Liberty | Flora S. and Jacob L. Newman Prize | For the greatest contribution by a third-year editor to the Journal of Law & Liberty. | N/A |
| Journal of Law and Liberty | Flora S. and Jacob L. Newman Prize | To the graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Journal of Law & Liberty. | N/A |
| Journal of Legislation and Public Policy | Thomas Stoddard Award | For the greatest contribution by a third-year editor to the Journal of Legislation and Public Policy. | N/A |
| Journal of Legislation and Public Policy | Flora S. and Jacob L. Newman Prize | To a graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Journal of Legislation and Public Policy. | N/A |
| Law Review | Edmond Cahn Law Review Award | To a third-year editor other than a senior editor who has contributed to the Law Review in an outstanding fashion during the third year. | N/A |
| Law Review | Morton Geller Award | To a third-year editor other than a senior editor who has contributed to the Law Review in an outstanding fashion during the third year. | N/A |
| Law Review | Paul D. Kaufman Memorial Award | To a graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Law Review. | N/A |
| Law Review | Judge Rose L. and Herbert Rubin Law Review Prize | To a graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Law Review in international, commercial, or public law. | N/A |
| Moot Court Board | Chief Judge Judith Kaye '62 Editing Prize | To the graduating student who has written an extraordinary Casebook problem and has gone above and beyond their required duties to support the NYU Moot Court Casebook. | N/A |
| Moot Court Board | Chief Judge Judith Kaye '62 Writing Prize | To the graduating student who has written the second-best moot court problem for the NYU Moot Court Casebook. | N/A |
| Moot Court Board | Order of Barristers |
The Order of Barristers is a national honorary organization devoted to the development of oral advocacy and brief-writing skills through law school appellate moot court programs. |
N/A |
| Moot Court Board | Jessup Team Award | For participation as the representatives of NYU School of Law in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. | N/A |
| Moot Court Board | National Moot Court Competition Award | For participation as the representatives of NYU School of Law in a National Moot Court Competition. | N/A |
| Moot Court Board | Lawrence Green '77 Prize | To a graduating student who has written the most outstanding moot court problem for the NYU Moot Court Casebook, and to the principal editor of that problem. | N/A |
| Moot Court Board | Mark Brisman '92 Moot Court Prize | For a member of the graduating class who has made the most significant contribution to the Moot Court Board. | N/A |
| Review of Law and Social Change | Flora S. and Jacob L. Newman Prize | For the greatest contribution by a third-year editor to the Review of Law & Social Change. | N/A |
| Review of Law and Social Change | Flora S. and Jacob L. Newman Prize | To the graduating student who has written the most outstanding note for the Review of Law & Social Change. | N/A |
| Review of Law and Social Change | Review of Law and Social Change Innovation and Creativity Award | To a graduating student who broadens the horizons of the Review of Law & Social Change and advances the mission of the journal. | N/A |
| Review of Law and Social Change | Review of Law and Social Change Stewardship Award | To a graduating student who has exhibited exemplary leadership with peers and colleagues on the Review of Law & Social Change in the service of producing the highest quality legal scholarship. | N/A |
**Winner of the Robert B. McKay Prize will also be awarded the Wickersham Prize