Alumni Awards

The Law Alumni Association presents four awards annually, recognizing the outstanding achievements of Texas Law graduates. The Alumni Association Executive Committee selects the recipients from nominations submitted by our alumni community. Award presentations are made annually at a gala celebration in Austin.

2023 Alumni Award Honorees

Lifetime Achievement: THE HON. MARILYN ABOUSSIE ’74

Recognizing a graduate who has had a distinguished career and has brought honor to The University Texas School of Law.

Outstanding Alumnus: THE HON. RON KIRK ’79

Honoring a graduate who has made outstanding contributions to his or her chosen profession and to society as a whole.

Barry Smitherman ’84

Distinguished Alumnus for Community Service: THE HON. BARRY SMITHERMAN  ’84

Honoring an outstanding graduate who has made exemplary contributions in public, pro bono and/or community service.

Sandra Gonzalez ’09

Outstanding Young Alumna: SANDRA GONZALEZ ’09

This award recognizes a graduate who has made significant achievements professionally and in their service to the law school.

Lifetime Achievement Award

This award recognizes an alum who has had a distinguished legal career.

2023 The Honorable Marilyn Aboussie ’74
2021  David Beck ’65
2019  Julius Glickman ’66
2018  Richard Mithoff ’71
2017  Frank Denius ’49
2016  The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison ’67
2015  John H. Massey ’66
2014  Terry O. Tottenham ’70
2013  The Honorable Robert  M. Parker ’64
2012  Daniel C. Arnold ’53
2011  The Honorable Sam Sparks ’63
2010  Mark L. Hart Jr. ’68
2009  George C. Chapman ’62
2008  Jonathan S. Day ’65
2007  Rush H. Record ’40
2006  W. Howard Wolf ’59
2005  James B. Sales ’60
2004  Bernard O. Dow ’56
2003  E. William Barnett ’58
2002  J. Mark McLaughlin ’54
2001  The Honorable Lloyd M. Bentsen Jr. ’42
2000  Charles Alan Wright
1999  The Honorable Barefoot Sanders ’50
1998  Wales H. Madden Jr. ’52
1997 The Honorable John L. Hill Jr. ’47
1996  Elton M. Hyder ’43
1995  Joyce Burg ’26
1994  The Honorable Jerre S. Williams
1993  C. Chris Marshall ’77
1992  George E. Seay ’32

Outstanding Alum Award

The Outstanding Alum Award honors a graduate who has made outstanding contributions not only to the legal profession, but to society as a whole.

2023 The Honorable Ronald Kirk ’79
2021  Karen Seymour ’86
2019  Darren Walker ’86
2018  Sandra Phillips Rogers ’91
2017  JoAnn Lee ’83
2016  Patton G. Lochridge ’76
2015  Mike McKool ’74
2014  S. Jack Balagia Jr. ’76
2013  Kathryn S. Fuller ’76
2012  Gilbert I. “Buddy” Low ’60
2011  Thomas M. Susman ’67
2010  The Honorable Diane P. Wood ’75
2009  The Honorable Royce C. Lamberth ’67
2008  Linda L. Addison ’76
2007  Jack Ratliff ’62
2006  Ronald D. Krist ’62
2005  The Honorable Wallace B. Jefferson ’88
2004  The Honorable Edith H. Jones ’74
2003  Shannon H. Ratliff ’62
2002  The Honorable Thomas G. Loeffler ’71
2001  Stephen D. Susman ’65
2000  David J. Beck ’65
1999  Larry E. Temple ’59
1998  Harry M. Reasoner ’62
1997  Morris Atlas ’50
1996  Joseph D. Jamail ’52
1995  The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison ’67
1994  The Honorable Reynaldo G. Garza ’39
1993  C. Kenneth Roberts ’51
1992  The Honorable Lloyd M. Bentsen Jr. ’42
1991  The Honorable Robert S. Strauss ’41
1990  Dean John F. Sutton Jr. ’41
1989  The Honorable James A. Baker III ’57
1988  The Honorable Jack Pope ’37
1987  The Honorable Edward Clark
1986  Wales H. Madden Jr. ’52
1985  R. Preston Shirley ’33
1984  T. J. Gibson ’48
1983  Mark A. Martin ’37
1982  William O. Huie ’35
1982  M. Kenneth Woodward ’43
1981  Benno C. Schmidt ’36
1980  Kraft W. Eidman ’35
1979  Helen Hargrave ’26
1978  Albert P. Jones ’30
1977  The Honorable Joe R. Greenhill ’39
1976  Gus M. Hodges ’32
1975  The Honorable Allan Shivers ’33
1974  Dean W. Page Keeton ’31
1973  Thomas M. Phillips ’39
1972  The Honorable Robert W. Calvert ’31
1971  A. W. Walker Jr. ’23
1970  Tom Sealy ’31
1969  J. Leroy Jeffers Sr. ’32
1968  Charles W. Duke ’31
1967  The Honorable W. St. John Garwood
1966  The Honorable Ireland Graves ’08
1965  Elton M. Hyder Jr. ’43
1964  The Honorable Tom C. Clark ’22
1963  Rex G. Baker Jr. ’47
1962  Francis G. Coates ’20
1961  Hines H. Baker ’17
1960  Sylvan S. Lang ’14
1959  Dan Moody ’51
1958  Charles I. Francis ’17

Distinguished Alum Award for Community Service

Established by the Alumni Association in 1988, this award honors a graduate who brings conspicuous credit to the legal profession by exemplary service. The award recognizes superior educators, outstanding lawyers in government service, or those who have had a significant role as a community volunteer.

2023 Barry Smitherman ’84
2021 The Honorable F. Scott McCown ’79
2019  Shawn Raymond ’99
2018  Carrin Patman ’82
2017  Janiece Longoria ’79
2016  The Honorable David Briones ’71
2015  Regina Rogoff ’73
2014  Nicole B. Cásarez ’79
2013  Joe R. Long ’58
2012  Nina Cortell ’76
2011  Ann Barnett Stern ’82
2010  Mike A. Myers ’63
2009  Catherine Lamboley ’79
2008  P. Michael McCullough ’63
2007  Franci N. Crane ’78
2006  The Honorable Preston M. Geren III ’78
2005  Laura Beckworth ’83
2004  The Honorable James DeAnda ’50
2003  The Honorable Sam A. Lindsay ’77
2002  Martha Smiley ’72
2001  William H. White ’79
2000  Scott Atlas ’75
1999  Charles A. Saunders ’45
1998  Ward R. Burke ’39
1997  The Honorable Tom B. Ramey ’51
1996  Neal S. Manne ’76
1995  Harry M. Reasoner ’62
1994  The Honorable Morris W. Hassell ’42
1993  The Honorable William C. Bryson ’73
1992  John W. Fainter ’63
1991  The Honorable Royal Furgeson Jr. ’67
1990  Harvey Weil ’39
1989  Tom Unis ’41
1988  The Honorable Ray Farabee ’61

Outstanding Young Alum Award

The Outstanding Young Alum Award honors a graduate, 40 years old or younger, who has made significant achievements in his or her career and service to the University. Texas Law honored its first recipient of this award, John B. Connally IV, in Spring 2014.

2023 Sandra Gonzalez ’09
2021  Carlos Zaffirini ’06
2019  Amanda Tyler ’04
2018  The Honorable Oscar Longoria ’07
2017  Daniel Hodge ’04
2016  Scott A. Keller ’07
2015  The Honorable George P. Bush ’03
2014  John B. Connally IV ’97

Mentor of the Year

The Mentor of the Year—selected by the dean from student nominations—honors an alumnus/alumna who have gone above and beyond to provide academic support, personal direction, and professional guidance to a Texas Law student

2023 Kris Kennedy ’95
2021 Kerstin Arnold ’95
2020 Cynthia Akatugba ’13
2019  Ari Herbert ’17
2018  Karen Burgess ’86
2017 Judge Patrick Keel ’89
2016 Lisa Anderson ’88