2025-2026 Award Winners
Each year Northwestern Pritzker Law awards a variety of student awards and prizes including writing prizes, academic grade-based prizes, and community awards. Congratulations to this year's recipients.
Student Graduation Awards
It is a beloved graduation tradition for the graduating class to nominate and vote on the winners of the annual Student Awards, which recognize students for a range of accomplishments.
Courage Award
Awarded to the student who has shown the greatest courage in surmounting obstacles to completing his or her education
John Holtgreve
Global Legal Profession Award
Awarded to the LLM student who has most exemplified standards of professionalism and has made the greatest contribution to the global legal profession
Habi Diop
Leadership Award
Awarded to the student who has made the greatest contribution to leadership in the student community
Stephanie Mao
Legal Profession Award
Awarded to the student who has made the greatest contribution to professional responsibility and to the practice of law
Kenneth Cavanaugh
MSL Residential Student Award
Awarded to the graduating residential student who, through their impact on the program and the world, best exemplifies the innovative spirit of the MSL Program.
Florence Chen
MSL Online Student Award
Awarded to the to the graduating online student who, through their impact on the program and the world, best exemplifies the innovative spirit of the MSL Program.
Rebecca Erickson
Pike Prize for Excellence in Legal Research and Information - Residential
Awarded to the most outstanding residential MSL student enrolled in the Research in Law, Business & Technology course. The Pike Prize recognizes strong academic performance, superb legal research and writing skills, and a collaborative spirit. Established in honor of Professor George Pike.
Katie Milos
Pike Prize for Excellence in Legal Research and Information - Online
Awarded to the most outstanding online MSL student enrolled in the Research in Law, Business & Technology course. The Pike Prize recognizes strong academic performance, superb legal research and writing skills, and a collaborative spirit. Established in honor of Professor George Pike.
Edward Atsinger
Service Award
Awarded to the student who has shown the greatest dedication and commitment to public service and the practice of law
Jordan Plunkett
Victor Rosenblum Award
Awarded to the LLM student who has done the most to uphold the traditions of the Law School
Philipp Ruchti-Baltensperger
Wigmore Key
Awarded to the student who has done the most to uphold the traditions of the Law School
Andrew Devedjian and May Hiatt
(on behalf of all the members of the Class of 2026 Graduation Committee)
Academic Prizes
Northwestern Pritzker Entrepreneurship Prize
Awarded to a second- or third-year law student who most exemplifies Northwestern Pritzker Law’s spirit of innovation, entrepreneurial drive, and integrity
Camden Lee
Fall 2025Graham Lane
Spring 2026John Paul Stevens Prize for Academic Excellence
Awarded annually to the law student who graduates with the highest GPA in their class
Serge Popov
The David S. Ruder Prize
Awarded to a student who intends to work in the public interest post-graduation, or after a judicial clerkship, and has logged the highest number of public service hours at the finish of their 2L year
Jacqueline Patel
Raoul Berger Prize
Awarded annually to the law student who submits the best paper in the Senior Research Program
Lindsey Roloff
for their paper "The Republican Turn in Access to Justice: Separating the Judicial from the Executive Power"Barnet & Scott Hodes Prize
Awarded to a law student who writes the best paper on an aspect of the law of local government
Austin Kruse
for their paper "The Revival of the State Voter-Arrest Privilege"Harold D. Shapiro Prize
Awarded to the best student in the Business Planning course (or a similar course) at the Law School
KeVohn McMahon
Leigh B. Bienen Prize
Awarded to the student who has written the best note or comment that has been selected for publication in the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology
Abigail English
for their paper "Uncharted Waters: Addressing the Shortcomings of Criminal Liability Under the Clean Water Act by Charging Water Polluters with Assault"Charles Cheney Hyde Prize
Awarded biennially to the law student who writes the best paper related to public international law
Barrett Ledvora
for their paper "Beyond the Self-Contained Universe: The Incorporation of Non-Investment International Law in Investor-State Arbitration"Kirkland & Ellis Scholars
The Kirkland & Ellis Scholars program was established in 2012 through the generosity of alumni and friends at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. The annual awards recognize the excellence of the top student in each section of the first-year substantive required classes. The program also extends to the highest achieving 2Ls in certain upper-level courses, including M&A, Securities, Private Equity, and Non-ITA Evidence.
Fall 2025
Christopher Sandifer (JD ’28)
Civil ProcedureAnna Buttell (JD ’28)
Civil ProcedureLavanya Kanneganti (JD-MBA ’28)
Civil ProcedureAlexander Kott (JD ’28)
Civil ProcedureKatherine Cook (JD ’28)
ContractsAnna Buttell (JD ’28)
ContractsSaloni Gauniyal (JD ’28)
ContractsCaroline Kralovec-Kirchherr (JD ’28)
ContractsAbigail Bartley (JD ’28)
Criminal LawDylan Zaccaria (JD ’28)
Criminal LawMax Lepore (JD ’28)
Criminal LawHannah Bijoy (JD '28)
PropertyAbigail Bartley (JD ’28)
TortsHasan Friggle (JD ’28)
TortsMegan O'Keefe (JD ’28)
TortsAlexander Kott (JD ’28)
TortsAlana Agron (JD ’27)
Mergers & AcquisitionsNina Elsner (JD ’27)
Securities RegulationJulie Jones (JD ’27)
EvidenceKevin Casto (JD ’27)
EvidenceNuo Chen (JD ’27)
Private EquitySpring 2026
Jordan Thomson-Castro (JD ’28)
Constitutional LawEleanor Wiltanger (JD ’28)
Constitutional LawMax Lepore (JD ’28)
Constitutional LawNyla Young (JD ’28)
Constitutional LawDrew Polito (JD ’28)
Criminal LawJordan Thomson-Castro (JD ’28)
PropertyRashail Wasim (JD ’28)
PropertyNadia Abossein (JD ’28)
PropertyCasey Brown (JD ’27)
EvidenceMia Gaddis (JD ’27)
EvidenceJustin Lai (JD ’27)
Mergers & AcquisitionsNathan Petty (JD ’27)
Mergers & AcquisitionsAaron Gold (JD ’27)
Private EquitySydney Johnson (JD ’27)
Securities RegulationLowden-Wigmore Prizes
The Lowden-Wigmore Prizes were established by the Frank O. Lowden (Class of 1887) in honor of his relationship with Dean John Henry Wigmore. The prizes are awarded annually to members of the student body for their ability to marshal authority, present arguments effectively in written form, and speak lucidly and convincingly in public. These awards go to students for the best written contributions to each of the Law School's legal journals as well as the final round Moot Court participants.
Journal Prizes
Jackson Roberg-Crane
"Dream a Little Dream of Licensing: Jazz and the §115 Compulsory Music Reproduction License"Northwestern University Law Review
Mark Elinski
"The Radio Loophole's Expiration Date: A Historical Argument for Reform"Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property
Elizabeth James
"Restrain, Seclude, Repeat: Seeking Solutions to End the Troubled Teen Industry’s Cycle of Harm"Journal of Law and Social Policy
Gianna Flammini
"The Independence and Impartiality of the Court of Arbitration for Sport"Journal of International Law and Business
Olivia Babin
"Probation Without a Home: How Probation Maintains Barriers to Successful Completion While Homeless"Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology
(second place contribution to JCLC)
Abhishek Chakrabarti
"Comparative Analysis of Freedom of Thought, Conscience, and Religion in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh"Journal of Human Rights
Máire Sullivan
"Citizenship as Control: Lessons from Athenian Democracy and Modern U.S. Immigration Practices"Northwestern Law Journal des Refusés