Student Awards

2019-2020 Awards and recipients

Western New England University School of Law annually recognizes students for their outstanding academic and extracurricular achievements. The School of Law community congratulates the following 2019-2020 recipients.

Graduation AWARDS

Catic Foundation Award

The Connecticut Attorneys Title Insurance Company (more commonly known as CATIC) was established in 1965. It was founded to assist attorneys involved in real estate transactions with the objective of providing the highest value to homebuyers and homeowners. CATIC has been academically involved with the School of Law by providing students in our Real Estate Practicum with experiential learning opportunities. It also provides financial support to non-profit entities engaged in legal education, public service law, and other charitable endeavors. The CATIC award recognizes a student for his or her outstanding academic achievement in Real Property courses taken during the student’s matriculation at Western New England.

Nikolas Kittredge

Edward F. McBride Award

The family of one of our graduates, Edward F. McBride, established this award. His family desired to honor him by establishing the award in his name. This award recognizes the achievements of a student who has, over the course of the student’s academic career, made the greatest academic advances from his or her first year to last year of law school.

Cheyanne Clark

Abraham Smith Award

The Abraham Smith Award is given for academic achievement in those fields of law that lie within the jurisdiction of the Probate Court, the court over which Judge Smith presided for many years. Judge Smith was both a respected jurist and an admired member of our part-time faculty. This award was created by his family and friends in his name. It is awarded to the graduate or graduates who have achieved distinction in Probate related subjects during their academic careers.

Kathryn M. Patrick

Edward B. Cooley Award

The Edward B. Cooley Award was created by the Honorable Sidney M. Cooley and his wife, Anne Cooley, to recognize excellence in the study of Labor Law. It was named in honor of Judge Cooley’s brother, Edward B. Cooley. Edward Cooley was born and schooled in Springfield and went to the Wharton School of Business. He attended and, in 1937, graduated from Northeastern University-Springfield School of Law, the predecessor to Western New England University School of Law. He established an outstanding reputation as a Labor Law attorney and was a pillar of integrity in the legal community. In 1946, he co-founded the law firm of Cooley & Cooley, now known as Cooley Schrair. The award is given to a graduating student who has the highest achievements in Labor Law.

Kathleen Arcuri

Eldergill Prize for Excellence In Employment Law

The Eldergill Prize for Excellence in Employment Law was established by The Connecticut Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Section in remembrance of Attorney Kathleen Eldergill. Attorney Eldergill practiced law for 35 years and was past president of the Connecticut Employment Lawyers’ Association. The Eldergill Prize is for a graduating law student from Western New England University School of Law who has excelled in coursework related to Labor and Employment Law.

Aimee Cawlina

James C. Faison Multicultural Leadership Award

The James C. Faison Multicultural Leadership Award is named in honor of Mr. Faison for his service to the Western Massachusetts legal community. Mr. Faison was a 1983 graduate of the School of Law and served for 14 years as the Clerk Magistrate of the Northampton Division of the Hampshire County District Court.
The award is given to recognize a graduating senior whose service to the School of Law community provided leadership in promoting awareness and celebration of our racial and ethnic diversity. The recipient is selected by a committee of law faculty.

Kerri Ann Manning
Gissell Rodriguez

Dean’s Award

The Dean’s Award is an award reserved solely to the discretion of the Dean. The Dean’s choice reflects on the significant contributions made by many individuals in the graduating class to the life and culture of the School of Law. Although the decision is difficult to make, the recipient is one who stands out in his or her class.

Gissell Rodriguez

Norman Prance Award

The School of Law considers the Norman Prance Award the highest award that we bestow. Professor Norman Prance was one of the most respected and admired members of our Law School faculty – he was respected and loved by students and faculty colleagues alike. When his teaching career was abruptly cut short by illness, the faculty of the School of Law established the Norman Prance Award in his honor.
The recipient of the Prance Award is chosen by the School’s entire full-time faculty and is awarded to that member(s) of the graduating class who, in terms of grade point average, classroom participation, and extracurricular academic activities best reflects the educational and professional qualities exemplified by Professor Prance.

Tara Morrison
Mitch Renfrew

Latin Honors

(listed in alphabetical order)

Summa Cum Laude

Lisa Harty
Sean McCabe
Tara Morrison
Kathryn Patrick
Mitchell Renfrew

Magna Cum Laude

Nicole Belbin
Jennifer Diggles
Nikolas Kittredge

Cum Laude

Daniella Bessarabova
Victoria Carbone
Kala Chapalonis
Mary Deneen
Stephanie DiGiorgio
Julia Glybin
Ethan Goldberg
Ryan Hartnett
Kerri Ann Manning
Samuel Prickett
Stacie Provencher
Matthew Schmidt
Aidan Sullivan
Adam Teich
Emilia Vandzhura

Student AWARDS

CATHERINE BEAN STREET SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

This scholarship is awarded to a woman in her last year at the School of Law who is a member of the Western New England University Law Review. Recipients must have demonstrated a potential for professional excellence and have financial need. This scholarship was established in memory of Catherine Bean Street, Class of 1990, by family and friends.

Britaney Guzman-Bailey

SBA REPRESENTATIVE OF THE YEAR

Todd Staples

SBA CLUB OF THE YEAR

Black Law Student Association

SBA COMMITTEE OF THE YEAR

Social Committee

SBA COMMENCEMENT DESIGNATIONS

Grand Marshall

Fred Royal

Marshalls

Bruce Miller
Erin Buzuvis

Hooders

Bridgette Baldwin
René Reich-Graefe

ADJUNCT PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR

Scott Chapman

CATHERINE J. JONES PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR

Bruce Miller

MOOT COURT AWARDS

Jessup lnternational Moot Court Team; Advisors: Prof. Matthew Charity and Prof. Robert Statchen (Advisor)

Audrey Kettle
Jenny Diggles
Tara Morrison
Eric Harrell

Negotiation Moot Court Team; Advisor: Prof. Eric Gouvin

Kristin Brazalovich
Maureen Carroll Dennis
Andrew Haughey
Shama Patel

National Moot Court Team; Advisors: Prof. Harris Freeman and Prof. Jeanne Kaiser

Andrew Lavender
James Molina
Brittany Bandani

ABA Tax Challenge Moot Court Team; Advisor: Fred Royal

Ryan Hartnett
Mitch Renfrew

First Amendment Moot Court Team; Advisors: Prof. Myra Orlen and Prof. Jeanne Kaiser

Krystle Bernier
Viktoriia Protsyk
Sean McCabe

American Association for Justice Trial Team; Advisors: Prof. Tina Cafaro and Attorney John Stewart

Stephanie DiGiorgio
Kala Chapalonis
Aidan Lanciani
Aaron Rath

LAWYERING SKILLS

BEST BRIEF AWARDS

Section 2

Plaintiff: Daniel Felten
Defendant: Christina Spicer

Section 4

Plaintiff: Kennan McBrearty
Defendant: Natalie Griffin Rowland

Section 6

Plaintiff: Meaghan Collins
Defendant: Dillon Bruso & Peter Curtis

Section 8

Plaintiff: Maija Lee Orlovsky Nagels
Defendant: Zachary Poreman

Section 10

Plaintiff: Sean Buxton
Defendant: Thomas Zeffiro

Section 40

Plaintiff: Chelsea Contrada
Defendant: Casey Croteau

Section 42

Plaintiff: Boris Virkerman
Defendant: Matthew Stevens

BEST ORAL ADVOCATES AWARDS