Alumni return to Chapel Hill to celebrate excellence at Carolina Law
October 13, 2025
Nearly 170 alumni and friends of UNC School of Law returned to Chapel Hill on October 3 for an evening that captured what makes the school’s community special.
“Tonight is a time for Carolina Law alumni and friends to come together in celebration and support of our alma mater,” Brian Meacham ’03 told the audience. “As president of the LAA, it’s an honor for me to recognize the remarkable achievements of some of the very best in our legal community.”
The annual Law Alumni Association Awards Ceremony at the Carolina Club honored eight members of the community who have made their mark on the legal profession. Award recipients ranged from the Class of 1959 to the Class of 2021.
“It was truly a privilege to be in a room with such successful and inspiring people, all of whom went to Carolina Law,” said 3L and SBA President Madeleine Calick. “We were all connected through our law degrees, and it made me feel like anything was possible.”
The evening revealed how those connections shape careers across generations. Judge Carl Fox ’78 and Judge Richard Myers ’98, both honored as Distinguished Alumni, credited fellow award recipients Justice Henry Frye ’59 and Judge David Sentelle ’68 as influential mentors in their careers.
“These enduring relationships and the dedication of our people to helping and serving others are at the core of Carolina Law,” Interim Dean Andy Hessick said.
Hessick also noted how Carolina Law graduates go on to shape communities around the world, “providing services that form the legal scaffolding supporting innovation, commerce, development, and justice.”
The ceremony honored three Lifetime Achievement Award recipients: Justice Henry E. Frye ’59, Charles P. Brown ’66, and Judge David B. Sentelle ’68. Judge Carl R. Fox ’78, Alison A. Grounds ’01, and Judge Richard E. Myers ’98 received Distinguished Alumni Awards. U.S. Army Captain Isabelle R. Stevens ’21 was recognized as an Emerging Leader, and Professor Thomas Lee Hazen received the Professor S. Elizabeth Gibson Award for Faculty Excellence.