The College of Law’s alumni awards program recognizes alumni who have made significant achievements in their careers and in their service to the College of Law. The program features four award categories: Emerging Leader, Alumni Achievement , Alumni Service, and the Iowa Law Review Distinguished Alumni.
The 2024 award winners include Michelle Ramirez (09JD), McCeil Johnson (99JD), The Honorable Michael Melloy (74JD), and Carolyn Jones (79JD). The recipients will be recognized during a special farewell brunch closing out the College of Law Reunion weekend.
Emerging Leader Award: Michelle Ramirez (09JD)
Michelle Ramirez graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law in 2009. She graduated with high distinction and Order of the Coif status. Prior to her legal career, she was an eighth grade English teacher in Las Vegas through Teach for America. After graduating from Iowa Law, Michelle worked as a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society. She represented survivors of domestic violence in various civil litigation matters and evidentiary hearings in state court. She now focuses her practice on products liability.
She currently is a partner at Sidley Austin law firm in Chicago. She is also the co-chair of Chicago SidleyWomen and serves as an active member of the firm’s Committee on Retention and Promotion of Women. She also serves on the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee, and Sidley’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force. She is a former member of the Summer Associate committee. Michelle is ranked by Chambers USA in Product Liability & Mass Torts – Nationwide (2023–2024) and Benchmark Litigation as a “Future Star” in Commercial Litigation and Product Liability – Nationwide and Illinois (2024–2025). She has also been featured in publications such as Euromoney LMG Life Sciences, Law360, Bloomberg Law, and The Am Law Litigation Daily.
Michelle is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and litigation strategist representing various companies in pharmaceuticals and medical devices, consumer products, sports, and manufacturing. She is honored with the Emerging Leader Award. This award is 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: McCeil Johnson (99 JD)
McCeil Johnson earned her law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1999. After graduating from Iowa Law, she fell in love with working in higher education. This led her to work at National Louis University in Chicago. Since that time, she has served in various roles in higher education. She currently serves as the vice president of accreditation and regulatory compliance for the University of Phoenix.
In her role as vice president, she also serves on many different boards relating to diversity. She also leads the President’s Advisory Council on Diversity to simultaneously observe the regional and national ebb and flow of diversity initiatives. She is a member of the University of Iowa College of Law’s alumni diversity council and UPCEA’s Board subcommittee on diversity. McCeil has become a national figure in the diversity, ethics, and compliance communities.
McCeil focuses on moving conversations from diversity fatigue to conversations on how to make our world a better place. McCeil is honored with the Alumni Achievement Award. This award is granted to the alumni of the College of Law for significant accomplishments in their law careers and significant service to the College of Law.
Alumni Service Award: The Honorable Michael Melloy (74JD)
The Honorable Michael Melloy received his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1974. He graduated magna cum laude and with high distinction. During law school, Judge Melloy interned at the Jo Daviess County, Illinois attorney’s office. Judge Melloy had served in the United States Army from 1970 to 1972 and served in the United States Army Reserve from 1972 to 1976. As a lawyer, Judge Melloy practiced civil litigation, administrative, real estate, bankruptcy, and tax law. He practiced at O’Connor & Thomas in Dubuque from 1974 until 1986. He served in various roles for Catholic organizations including the Dubuque Catholic Metropolitan School Board, Clarke University, and the Knights of Columbus.
Judge Melloy began his career as a judge on the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Iowa from 1986 to 1992. In 1992, he was appointed by President George H. W. Bush to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. He served as chief judge from 1992 to 1999. He was also chair of the bankruptcy committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States. President George W. Bush appointed him in 2001 to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Judge Melloy took senior status on February 1st, 2013 and fully retired this year.
Judge Melloy holds the distinction of being the first judge on the Eighth Circuit’s U.S. Court of Appeals to serve as both a U.S. bankruptcy and U.S. district judge. Judge Melloy is honored with the Alumni Service Award. This award is granted to alumni of the College of Law for significant service to the college, university, community, state, or nation.
Iowa Law Review Award: Carolyn Jones (79JD)
Carolyn Jones received her law degree from the University of Iowa College in 1979. Carolyn graduated with high honors, Order of the Coif, and was a member of the Iowa Law Review. As a Yale Law Fellow, she then received her LLM from Yale Law School in 1982. Carolyn worked as an assistant city attorney in Sioux City from 1979 to 1980. She also worked as an associate in the Sioux City law firm of Klass, Whicher, and Mishne from 1981 to 1982.
Finding her passion in academics, Carolyn began teaching at the St. Louis University School of Law in 1982 and taught there until 1990. She joined the University of Connecticut faculty in 1990. At the University of Connecticut, she served as associate dean of academic affairs and on numerous committees, including faculty appointments and a dean’s search. She has also served as a visiting professor at the University of Exeter, Washington University, and the Moritz College of Law at the Ohio State University.
Carolyn Jones joined the University of Iowa College of Law in 2004 as the 16th Dean of the College. She worked as the dean until 2010, when she returned to the faculty of Iowa Law. Carolyn then retired from the faculty in 2021. Carolyn is honored with the Iowa Law Review Award. The Iowa Law Review Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes former members of the Iowa Law Review for outstanding personal and professional achievement.