Alumni Awards
The Law Alumni Association presents four awards annually, recognizing the outstanding achievements of Texas Law graduates. The awards committee from the Alumni Association Executive Committee selects the award recipients at its spring meeting, choosing from nominations submitted by our alumni community. Award presentations are made each fall at a gala dinner in Austin.
Awards Nominations Now Open
We are currently soliciting nominations for the 2022 Alumni Awards. Please submit your nominations by January 7, 2022.
For more information about nominations or the event, please contact the Alumni Relations Office at alumni@law.utexas.edu.
Nomination Form2021 Alumni Award Honorees
The 2021 Alumni Awards Dinner will be April 28, 2022.
Lifetime Achievement: DAVID BECK ’65
Recognizing a graduate who has had a distinguished career and has brought honor to The University Texas School of Law.
Outstanding Alumnus: KAREN SEYMOUR ’86
Honoring a graduate who has made outstanding contributions to his or her chosen profession and to society as a whole.
Distinguished Alumnus for Community Service: THE HON. F. SCOTT McCOWN ’79
Honoring an outstanding graduate who has made exemplary contributions in public, pro bono and/or community service.
Outstanding Young Alumnus: CARLOS ZAFFIRINI, JR. ’06
This award recognizes a graduate who has made significant achievements professionally and in their service to the law school.
Memorial Tribute: JULIUS WHITTIER ’80
The late Julius Whittier was one of just 300 Black students on campus when he arrived in 1969. Beyond breaking racial barriers and accolades with the football team, he earned his B.A. in Philosophy in 1974, his Masters in Public Policy from the LBJ School in 1976, and completed his studies with the School of Law in 1980.
Alumni Awards Archive
Read more about Alumni Awards
Past Alumni Award Recipients
View past recipients for each award:
Lifetime Achievement Award
This award recognizes an alumnus who has had a distinguished legal career.
2019 Julius Glickman ’66
2018 Richard Mithoff
2017 Frank Denius
2016 The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison
2015 John H. Massey
2014 Terry O. Tottenham
2013 The Honorable Robert M. Parker
2012 Daniel C. Arnold
2011 The Honorable Sam Sparks
2010 Mark L. Hart Jr.
2009 George C. Chapman
2008 Jonathan S. Day
2007 Rush H. Record
2006 W. Howard Wolf
2005 James B. Sales
2004 Bernard O. Dow
2003 E. William Barnett
2002 J. Mark McLaughlin
2001 The Honorable Lloyd M. Bentsen Jr.
2000 Charles Alan Wright
1999 The Honorable Barefoot Sanders
1998 Wales H. Madden Jr.
1997 The Honorable John L. Hill Jr.
1996 Elton M. Hyder
1995 Joyce Burg
1994 The Honorable Jerre S. Williams
1993 C. Chris Marshall
1992 George E. Seay
Outstanding Alumnus Award
The Outstanding Alumnus Award honors a graduate who has made outstanding contributions not only to the legal profession, but to society as a whole.
2019 Darren Walker ’86
2018 Sandra Phillips Rogers
2017 JoAnn Lee
2016 Patton G. Lochridge
2015 Mike McKool
2014 S. Jack Balagia Jr.
2013 Kathryn S. Fuller
2012 Gilbert I. “Buddy” Low
2011 Thomas M. Susman
2010 The Honorable Diane P. Wood
2009 The Honorable Royce C. Lamberth
2008 Linda L. Addison
2007 Jack Ratliff
2006 Ronald D. Krist
2005 The Honorable Wallace B. Jefferson
2004 The Honorable Edith H. Jones
2003 Shannon H. Ratliff
2002 The Honorable Thomas G. Loeffler
2001 Stephen D. Susman
2000 David J. Beck
1999 Larry E. Temple
1998 Harry M. Reasoner
1997 Morris Atlas
1996 Joseph D. Jamail
1995 The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison
1994 The Honorable Reynaldo G. Garza
1993 C. Kenneth Roberts
1992 The Honorable Lloyd M. Bentsen Jr.
1991 The Honorable Robert S. Strauss
1990 Dean John F. Sutton Jr.
1989 The Honorable James A. Baker III
1988 The Honorable Jack Pope
1987 The Honorable Edward Clark
1986 Wales H. Madden Jr.
1985 R. Preston Shirley
1984 T. J. Gibson
1983 Mark A. Martin
1982 William O. Huie
1982 M. Kenneth Woodward
1981 Benno C. Schmidt
1980 Kraft W. Eidman
1979 Helen Hargrave
1978 Albert P. Jones
1977 The Honorable Joe R. Greenhill
1976 Gus M. Hodges
1975 The Honorable Allan Shivers
1974 Dean W. Page Keeton
1973 Thomas M. Phillips
1972 The Honorable Robert W. Calvert
1971 A. W. Walker Jr.
1970 Tom Sealy
1969 J. Leroy Jeffers Sr.
1968 Charles W. Duke
1967 The Honorable W. St. John Garwood
1966 The Honorable Ireland Graves
1965 Elton M. Hyder Jr.
1964 The Honorable Tom C. Clark
1963 Rex G. Baker Jr.
1962 Francis G. Coates
1961 Hines H. Baker
1960 Sylvan S. Lang
1959 Dan Moody
1958 Charles I. Francis
Distinguished Alumnus 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.
2019 Shawn Raymond ’99
2018 Carrin Patman
2017 Janiece Longoria
2016 The Honorable David Briones
2015 Regina Rogoff
2014 Nicole B. Cásarez
2013 Joe R. Long
2012 Nina Cortell
2011 Ann Barnett Stern
2010 Mike A. Myers
2009 Catherine Lamboley
2008 P. Michael McCullough
2007 Franci N. Crane
2006 The Honorable Preston M. Geren III
2005 Laura Beckworth
2004 The Honorable James DeAnda
2003 The Honorable Sam A. Lindsay
2002 Martha Smiley
2001 William H. White
2000 Scott Atlas
1999 Charles A. Saunders
1998 Ward R. Burke
1997 The Honorable Tom B. Ramey
1996 Neal S. Manne
1995 Harry M. Reasoner
1994 The Honorable Morris W. Hassell
1993 The Honorable William C. Bryson
1992 John W. Fainter
1991 The Honorable Royal Furgeson Jr.
1990 Harvey Weil
1989 Tom Unis
1988 The Honorable Ray Farabee
Outstanding Young Alumnus Award
The Outstanding Young Alumnus 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.
2019 Amanda Tyler ’04
2018 The Honorable Oscar Longoria
2017 Daniel Hodge
2016 Scott A. Keller
2015 The Honorable George P. Bush
2014 John B. Connally IV
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
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