Faculty Awards

Each year Carolina Law honors former faculty members who have demonstrated excellence in teaching, scholarship and service by presenting awards to current faculty members who embody the same qualities and commitment to excellence exemplified by the people for whom the award is named.

Robert G. Byrd Award for Excellence and Creativity in Teaching.

This award is named for Robert G. Byrd, an alumnus of the school who served as a member of the faculty from 1963 until 2004, and as dean from 1974-1979.

James H. Chadbourn Award for Excellence in Scholarship.

This award is named for James H. Chadbourn, editor-in-chief of the North Carolina Law Review in 1930-1931, a member of the Carolina Law faculty from 1931-1936, and a co-author of leading texts in civil procedure, federal court, and evidence. In 1933, while at UNC, Chadbourn bravely authored a controversial work titled “Lynching and the Law.” This award honors a faculty member’s distinguished law journal article.

Past Winners

Charles E. Daye Award for Excellence in Service.

This award is conferred annually on the basis of service performed within the two years prior to year in which the award is given. A faculty member is honored for exemplary public service, measured by the time, effort and creativity devoted to service, as well as the impact on the community.

The Van Hecke-Wettach Award

Every other year, the law school awards the Van Hecke-Wettach award—named for two Carolina Law deans of the 1930s and 1940s respectively, Maruice Van Hecke and Robert Wettach—for the completion of an outstanding book or monograph.

Past Winners

McCall Award

The Frederick B. McCall Award for Teaching Excellence is named for Frederick B. McCall, who served on the Carolina Law faculty for more than 40 years. He was an outstanding scholar of property and estates law, a tireless contributor to the North Carolina General Statutes Commission, and a celebrated teacher. Upon his retirement in 1967, students established the McCall Award to be selected annually by members of the third-year class.

The McCall Award is an annual award for outstanding teaching elected by the graduating class pursuant to the students’ own rules and customs, and presented at commencement.

A faculty member who receives the McCall Award at least three times becomes a member of the McCall Master Teachers’ Society. Membership in the McCall Master Teachers’ Society is for life, but upon joining the Society, members serve “active terms” of three years.

During the three-year term, a McCall Master Teacher is ineligible to receive the McCall Award. At the conclusion of his or her term, he or she is again eligible for the McCall Award. If he or she again wins the McCall Award three additional times, he or she will have another “active” term.

Past Winners