Syracuse Law Honors Awards
Syracuse Law Honors Awards
Alumni of Color Awards
Whom We Honor
The Syracuse Law Honors are awards presented on behalf of the Syracuse University Law Alumni Association (SULAA) and the College of Law to celebrate the distinguished achievements in any field of endeavor by living members of the Syracuse Law family–alumni, current and former faculty and staff, students, parents and friends–for service to the College of Law, the legal profession, Syracuse University, or the world at large.
The Nomination Process
The Syracuse University Law Alumni Association seeks nominations from alumni, the College of Law community, and friends, identifying deserving members of our community to honor. We hope you will take a moment to share the names and stories of candidates; we would be delighted to read of their accomplishments, any articles, testimonials, or other forms of supporting information and documentation. Nominations are collected through our online nomination form, or by email at SULAA@law.syr.edu. If you're nominating by email, please include the following information:
NOTE: Nominations for 2021 are now open.
- Candidate's name
- Candidate's address and current contact information
- Candidate's connection to the College of Law and graduation year, if a graduate
- Candidate's background and education
- A statement of reasons why you believe this candidate is deserving of recognition by the College of Law, providing as much detail as possible, including a description of achievement(s) that merit recognition
- Any supporting information (articles, testimonials, other recommendations, statements by other nominators)
- Your name and contact information, as to be contacted by SULAA representatives with questions or to request further information
Nominations are reviewed by SULAA, and at their recommendation, honorees are selected by the Dean and the SULAA Board of Directors.
Awards Ceremony
Award recipients are honored at an awards ceremony during the College of Law's Syracuse Law Alumni Weekend each fall, and will also be invited to interact with students, faculty, and friends of the College in classes, lectures or symposia in connection with the weekend.
2020 Recipients
- Professor Emeritus William C. Banks, for his service to the College of Law, where he has served as a Distinguished and Emeritus Professor and Interim Dean; Founding Director of the Syracuse University Institute for Security Policy and Law (formerly the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism); and for his scholarship and leadership in the fields of constitutional law, national security, and counterterrorism law.
- Everett A. Gillison L’85, for his lifetime commitment to public service, including as a member of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, Deputy Mayor of Public Safety for the City of Philadelphia, Chief of Staff to Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, and as a member of the Pennsylvania Probation and Parole Board and Pennsylvania State Ethics Board.
- Virginia L. Grady L’83, for her commitment to advocacy on behalf of indigent defendants, highlighted by her continuing service as the Federal Public Defender for the Districts of Colorado and Wyoming, and her leadership in advancing the legal profession by training lawyers in federal criminal practice and procedure and in seeking to improve the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.
- Professor Thomas J. Maroney L’63, for his 44 years as a faculty member of the College of Law; his public service as United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York and as Assistant Attorney General; his commitment to alternative dispute resolution as a respected labor arbitrator; and his dedication to his community as a past chair of the CNY Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union and as a long-time volunteer fire police officer.
- M. Catherine Richardson L’77, for her dedication to the practice of law and to her community, where she spent her entire legal career specializing in corporate healthcare law and operations, and for her commitment to the legal profession and efforts to advance leadership opportunities for women, including serving as the first woman President of the Onondaga County Bar Association and second woman President of the New York State Bar Association.
- Koert A. Wehberg L’08, for his dedication to proactive, policy- and community-driven systemic change for people with disabilities, ensuring access for all people by litigating against governmental agencies to ensure those rights, and most recently by being named Executive Director of the Philadelphia Mayor’s Commission on People with Disabilities.
