In 2009, Iowa Law launched an alumni awards program to recognize law alumni who have made significant achievements in their careers and in their service to the College of Law. Awards are presented annually in four different categories:

  • Emerging Leader Award – granted to alumni of the College of Law for early career achievements in their area of practice and in their service to the college, community, state, or nation.
  • Alumni Achievement Award – granted to alumni of the College of Law for significant accomplishments in their law careers and significant service to the College of Law.
  • Alumni Service Award – granted to alumni of the College of Law for significant service to the college, university, community, state, or nation.
  • The Iowa Law Review Alumni award is awarded by the Iowa Law Review board. Send nominations to ilr@uiowa.ed.

Nominations

Anyone can make a nomination. Nominations for the next awards are due June 30. Nomination submissions should include the category of the nomination and specify the qualifications of the nominee.  Additional information such as letters of support, press releases about the nominee, and the nominee's résumé are helpful to the Awards Committee.  To submit a nomination, use our Nomination Form.

2024 Alumni Awards Recipients

  • Emerging Leader: Michelle Ramirez (09JD)
  • Alumni Achievement: McCeil Johnson (99JD)
  • Alumni Service: Hon. Michael Melloy (74JD)
  • Iowa Law Review: Carolyn Jones (79JD)
A graphic of all four alumni award winners form 2024

2023 Alumni Awards Recipients

  • Emerging Leader Award - Abhay M. Nadipuram (13JD)
  • Iowa Law Review Alumni Award - Alison Guernsey (08JD)
  • Alumni Service Award - The Hon. C.J. Williams (88JD)
  • Alumni Achievement Award - Carroll J. Reasoner (76JD)
2023 Alumni Award Winners

2022 Alumni Awards Recipients

  • Emerging Leader Award - Ozan Varol (07JD)
  • Iowa Law Review Alumni Award - Hon. Sharon Soorholtz Greer (82JD)
  • Alumni Service Award - Hon. Rita Garman (68JD)
  • Alumni Achievement Award - Carol Havemann-Lynch (72JD)
2022 Alumni Award Recipients

2021 Alumni Awards Recipients

  • Emerging Leader Award - Hon. Gina C. Badding (04JD)
  • Iowa Law Review Alumni Award - Thomas H. Boyd (87JD)
  • Alumni Service Award - Kimberly Teehee (95JD)
  • Alumni Achievement Award - Sidney K. Ayabe (70JD)
2021 Alumni Awards Recipients

2020 Alumni Awards Recipients

  • Emerging Leader Award - Alex Lodge (16JD)
  • Alumni Achievement Award - Larry McKibben (72JD)
  • Alumni Service Award - Vanessa Benavides (00JD)
  • Iowa Law Review Alumni Award - Colleen Connell (80JD)
Headshots of the 2020 Alumni Award Recipients: Alex Lodge, Larry McKibben, Vanessa Benavides, and Colleen Connell

Past Awards Recipients

  • 2019 Alumni Awards

    Emerging Leader Award - Hon. Christopher McDonald (01JD)

  • Alumni Achievement Award - Frank W. Pechacek, Jr. (69JD)
  • Alumni Service Award - Heidi McNeil Staudenmaier (85JD)
  • Iowa Law Review Alumni Award - Darrel Morf (69JD)
  • Friend of the Law School - Deb Paul

  • 2018 Award Winners

    Emerging Leader Award - Natalie Bolling (03JD) 

  • Alumni Achievement Award - C. Dana Waterman III (71JD)
  • Alumni Service Award - Dennis Groenenboom (78JD)
  • Iowa Law Review Alumni Award - Maja Eaton (84JD)

  • 2017 Award Winners

    Emerging Leader Award - Michael Davis (04JD)

  • Alumni Achievement Award - Dennis Shields (82JD)
  • Alumni Service Award - Cynthia Nance (89JD)
  • Iowa Law Review Alumni Award - Kevin Lindsey (91JD)

  • 2016 Award Winners

    Recent Alumni Award - Lt. Jacob Meusch (10JD)

  • Alumni Achievement Award - Professor Emerita Patricia Acton (74JD)
  • Alumni Service Award - Arindam Kar (01JD)
  • Iowa Law Review Alumni Award - The Honorable John Coughenour (66JD)

2015 Award Winners

In 2015, for Iowa Law's 150th anniversary year, we could not limit ourselves, so we went big and recognized more than 150 alumni as part of our It's the People Project! 

  • Recent Alumni Award - Annette G. Stewart (04JD)
  • Alumni Achievement Award - Charles M. Kierscht (62JD) & Marion J. Kierscht
  • Alumni Service Award - Thomas J. Wickham (94JD)

  • Recent Alumni Award - David E. Funkhouser, III (03JD)
  • Alumni Achievement Award - Robert Downer (63JD)
  • Alumni Service Award - Tiffany Ferguson (96JD)

  • Recent Alumni Award - Laura Brandes Ebinger (07JD)
  • Alumni Achievement Award - Marvin S. Berenstein (61JD)
  • Alumni Service Award - R. Thomas Price (63JD)

  • Recent Alumni Award - Pollyanna Folkins Hampton (04JD)
  • Alumni Achievement Award - Ted Seldin (55JD)
  • Alumni Service Award - Chuck Coulter (65JD)

  • Recent Alumni Award - Craig Cannon (00JD)
  • Alumni Achievement Award - Robert Bouma (62JD)
  • Alumni Service Award - Melissa Weresh (92JD)
  • Friend of the Law School Award - Professor William Buss

  • Recent Alumni Award - Behnaz Soulati (99JD)
  • Alumni Achievement Awards - John Wicks, Sr. (64JD)
  • Alumni Service Award - Rob Youle (76JD)