UNC School of Law Presents 2024 Student Awards

At the end of each academic year, UNC School of Law presents awards to students recognizing writing, leadership, service and practice interest. This year, members of the Class of 2024 received the Bane Outstanding Writing Award, the Coates Rule of Law Essay Award, the Winston Crisp Award for Student Leadership, the Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA) Outstanding Student Award, and the Jerry B. and Callie Irene Stone Constitutional Law Award.

Bane Outstanding Writing Award

The Bane Outstanding Writing Award recognizes the importance Carolina Law places on writing. Faculty members nominate papers they feel are exceptional. It is an honor based solely on the merit of faculty-nominated work, regardless of the student’s GPA, that reflects passion for a particular topic and the ability to translate that passion into exceptional written work.

Written work is eligible for nomination if it was part of a faculty-evaluated course for credit, including courses, seminars, and independent studies. Winners receive a monetary prize.

This year, there were two winners. Kate Bock won for her paper, “Abortion Access for Incarcerated Women Post-Dobbs,” and Daniel Steenkamp won for his paper, “Closer to Heart: A Proposal to Reduce Police Involvement in Involuntary Commitment in North Carolina.”

Millard S. Breckenridge Prize in Law

Brittany Huang is the recipient of this year’s Millard S. Breckenridge Prize in Law. Named for a former Carolina Law faculty member, the award is presented to a graduating 3L who has demonstrated excellence in the study of tax law. This honor is accompanied by a monetary award and is chosen by the tax law faculty. It is awarded to a student with outstanding overall performance in tax law courses.

Coates Rule of Law Essay Award

The Coates Rule of Law Essay Award is given to the student that writes the best essay on the rule of law. The winner receives a monetary prize.

This year’s recipient is Lauren Hubbard for her essay on the state of Oregon’s constitutional right to affordable health care.

Winston Crisp Award for Student Leadership

The Winston Crisp Award for Student Leadership was initiated by the Student Bar Association during the 2005-2006 school year to recognize excellence in student leadership. Winston Crisp ’92 served the law school as associate dean of student services for 13 years. He demonstrated extraordinary leadership ability throughout his time at Carolina Law, both as a student and as an administrator. The Crisp Award seeks to recognize students who exemplify the same outstanding leadership. The winner receives a monetary prize.

This year’s recipient is Jamie Marsicano. Marsicano has consistently embodied the values and characteristics of a strong student leader during their time at Carolina Law. As the President of the UNC Law Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, Marsicano reinvigorated the organization by planning and organizing key events such as Disorientation Week, Lefty Lunches, and the Week of Abolition. They also served as a board member of Outlaw, the LGBTQIA+ student organization, focusing on cultivating a safe and welcoming space for students to be themselves. Additionally, Marsicano prioritized the wellbeing of other students as a member of the Wellness Committee and as a Dean’s Fellow, providing mentorship to 1Ls in their first year of navigating law school.

Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA) Outstanding Student Award

Morgan Hoyt received the annual Clinical Legal Education Association (CLEA) Outstanding Student Award for her work in the Military and Veterans Law Clinic. CLEA is the primary national organization dedicated to clinical education in law schools across the country, and the award honors one student or student team at each law school who has excelled in a clinical course. At Carolina Law, the CLEA Outstanding Student Award recipient is selected based on excellence in clinical work, particularly in development of the attorney-client relationship; in case planning and development; efficiency and reliability in time management; polished oral and written communications; overall significance of casework contributions; and contributions to the clinical community at large.

Jerry B. and Callie Irene Stone Constitutional Law Award

This award is given to 1Ls who excel in Constitutional Law and includes a monetary prize. Faculty members who teach Constitutional Law select students from their spring classes.

Joel Gillison 1L was nominated by Professor Mary-Rose Papandrea. Adam Henry Webster 1L was nominated by Professor Gene Nichol. Carley Cook 1L and Sabrina Callahan 1L were nominated by Professor Eric Muller. Emily Alice Golin Kaplan 1L and Kristina E Smith 1L were nominated by Professor Michael Gerhardt.