April 28, 2017

Awards luncheon celebrates student achievements

From peer mentors and community service, to moot court participation and individual awards, students achieved a lot in 2016-17

“Recognizing and thanking our students who have devoted time to our school and to the community is one of the highlights of each year,” says Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Libby Davis ’93. On Tuesday, April 11, 2017, the Law School hosted the annual Student Recognition Lunch, during which more than 220 students were honored for their services, including:

  • Students who served as inaugural Peer Mentors to 1L students through the Peer2Peer Mentor Program. Through this new program, 38 upper division students greeted entering first-year students on Orientation Day 2016, and then spent the year meeting with their assigned 1Ls through planned activities and informally, answering questions on a variety of topics, and generally providing support.
  • Students who competed on moot court teams, devoting hundreds of hours to honing their arguments and practicing the skills required to compete in regional and national competitions. 
  • Students who performed Pro Bono & Community Service. These students volunteered in more than 100 organizations and performed more than 14,000 hours of service to people in need and important causes.
  • Students who served as officers and members of the Student Bar Association. These students dedicated a significant amount of time to representing the interests of all LC Law students by serving on law school committees and by organizing events, speakers, and activities. These SBA events gave students an opportunity to learn, serve, and decompress from the stresses of law school. 

In addition, several students were individually recognized:

  • Martha Izenson ’17 received a special National Association of Women’s Judge Scholarship Award, named in honor of Judge Julie Frantz ’75, who presented the award to Izenson.
  • Christian Huettemeyer ’17 received the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Medal of Excellence Award. The award was presented to recognize Huettemeyer’s outstanding performance in his bankruptcy coursework.
  • Abbie Hendricks ’17 was recognized for winning the Sidney M. Peristadt Memorial Award, presented by the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel. She won the award for her Capstone paper titled “Multiemployer Pension Plans:  Reforms to Sustain and Innovate”. 
  • Amanda Gomm ’17 was selected by the National Jurist as one of their 2017 “Law Students of the Year.” She was among just 25 students selected by the National Jurist for this recognition. In her profile, the National Jurist praised Gomm for juggling her family and law school responsibilities, including devoting significant time to her clients and cases at our Small Business Legal Clinic.

In her closing remarks, Dean Jennifer Johnson praised and congratulated the students for the commitment to the school and community saying, “Thank you to our students, who make Lewis & Clark Law School a very special place to study and work.”