USC Gould staff, faculty and students took a break from their bustling spring semester activities to honor their own at the annual awards ceremony, which recognizes outstanding achievements from the academic year.
“This yearly tradition gives us an opportunity to gather the entire law school community to honor excellence and commitment to service shown by graduating students as well as by faculty and staff,” USC Gould Dean Rasmussen told the crowd, seated along the steps, fountain and lawn in front of the LAW building.
Student Bar Association President Justin Bubenik kicked off the program with three awards selected by the USC Gould student body to outstanding members of the USC Gould staff and faculty for “bettering our law school community.”
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The SBA honored Donald Scotten as Outstanding Professor of the Year and then honored him again with the William A. Rutter Distinguished Teaching Award, named for the legendary educator and USC Gould alumnus. Rutter’s widow, son and step-son attended the ceremony.As Rasmussen presented Scotten with the award, he highlighted how Scotten teaches both LL.M. and J.D. students, reaching hundreds of students each year who take his “Business Organizations, Mergers & Acquisitions,” and “Introduction to the U.S. Legal System” courses.
“When I meet our alumni across the world, both JDs and LLMs, I ask them ‘Who was your favorite law professor?’ The name I hear the most is ‘Donald Scotten,’” said Rasmussen as he presented Scotten with his second award of the day.
“I was not this popular in high school!” Scotten said as he received the award. “I love teaching. It’s my passion. But this award was not won just by myself. We are part of a larger law community here at USC Gould that encompasses the faculty who inspire me; the staff who support me and, most importantly, the students. It’s a pleasure and a privilege to teach you guys.”
The Hon. Stan Blumenfeld was named Outstanding Adjunct Professor of the Year, honored for his concern for students combined with his excellence in teaching and legal scholarship.
Bubenik described Judge Blumenfeld’s lectures as “incredibly structured and effective” and noted that one student described Blumenfeld’s teaching style as “straightforward…no hiding the ball.”
Rasmussen continued the ceremony by announcing this year’s Shattuck Award recipients. The students are nominated by their peers, as well as USC Gould faculty and staff. The following six 3L students were recognized for demonstrating the greatest potential for becoming members of the bar and making significant contributions to the USC Gould community:
• Hale Moot Court champion Janille Chambers Corbett was recognized for her work with PCJP and the Black Law Student Association (BLSA)
• Marta Eggers, who plans to pursue a career in public defense, was described as someone “who will never stop fighting for her clients”;
• Carissa Meade was honored for serving leadership positions with Street Law and the BLSA and also for working with PCJP;
• Kelsey McGregor was recognized for her work on some of the “most egregious human rights violations of our time” with USC Gould’s Human Rights Clinic
• Paige Smith was acknowledged for reinvigorating the Women’s Law Association (WLA); and
• Donna Strain was highlighted for her work as an “indispensable member of the writing fellows program.”
Sierra Gronewold was awarded the Miller-Johnson Equal Justice Prize for her commitment to civil and social justice. As president of the Public Interest Law Foundation, she led the organization and spearheaded the creation of the “Public Interest Certificate” at USC Gould. “I envision that she will be a change maker,” one of Gronewold’s nominations read.
Laura Donaldson was awarded the Mason C. Brown Award for working countless hours with the Post-Conviction Justice Project on the highly publicized Mary Jones case. The award, named for trial attorney and USC Gould alumnus Mason Brown ’70, was established to recognize a third-year law student who demonstrates a commitment to public interest endeavors and talent for trial work. Brown’s widow Laurie attended the ceremony.
Donaldson’s nominator noted her dedication to the Jones case and “her unwavering efforts resulted in finally bringing Ms. Jones home after Ms. Jones spent over 32 years in prison.”
Two students from the law school’s LL.M. program — Jiaying Jiang and Naoko Sasaki – were recognized by the Graduate and International Student program for taking time to help others and building community at USC Gould.
Post-Conviction Justice Project (PCJP) paralegal Eunice Bautista was honored by the SBA as the year’s outstanding staff member as the “heart and soul” the PCJP clinic.
Photos by Osose Oboh
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