Alumni Awards

This award honors an emeritus or emerita professor whose dedication and creativity have left an indelible mark on the lives of students and colleagues during their tenure and since their retirement. 

Ruth Colker, A.B., Harvard University, J.D. Harvard Law School, is a Distinguished University Professor and the Heck Faust Memorial Chair in Constitutional Law. One of the country’s preeminent scholars in constitutional law and disability discrimination, she has published at least one edition of 17 books and more than 90 law review articles. Her work has twice been cited by the United States Supreme Court. She serves on the Executive Committee and the National Board of Directors for the American Civil Liberties Union.  Professor Colker is the first member of the College of Law to be designated as a Distinguished University Professor, the university’s highest distinction. 

This recognition is given to alumni in their early career (<10 years) whose accomplishments exemplify outstanding professionalism or loyalty to the college community. 

Kaela King is a Partner at Cooper Elliott, where she represents plaintiffs in complex civil cases ranging from civil rights violations, wrongful death, catastrophic personal injury, sexual abuse, and medical malpractice. She was recognized as a member of the 40 Under 40 Class of 2024 by Columbus Business First. Kaela began her legal career clerking for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. She graduated Order of the Coif from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the law review. 

This award honors individuals whose efforts have made a meaningful and lasting impact, advancing justice and public good beyond the practice of law. 

For nearly 40 years, Carl practiced law with the Vorys firm. Now, as Executive Director of the Divided Community Project (DCP) at Moritz, he guides DCP’s efforts to assist leaders around the country in communities facing racial, religious, political, and other tensions. He writes, speaks frequently, designs, and facilitates solution-oriented discussions to strengthen and expand community capacity and resiliency to meet these challenges. As a past president of the Columbus Bar Association and of the Law and Leadership Institute, LLI (a non-profit Moritz helped to create to provide a statewide pipeline program in Ohio for promising high school students), he has worked for decades to recruit, promote and sustain greater diversity and inclusion in the legal profession in Columbus and beyond.Carl is married to Connie Harris Smallwood (Moritz JD ’81), and they have two adult children.

This honors a graduate or friend of the college who has devoted significant time and energy to causes and projects that benefit the greater community and the welfare of humanity. 

Kelley Griesmer is the President and CEO of The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, a public foundation committed to transforming the lives of women and girls through research, grantmaking, and advocacy. Kelley’s career includes both forprofit and non-profit experiences, including roles as a partner at Jones Day law firm, the COO of Pelotonia, and a Senior Vice President at The Columbus Foundation. Kelley graduated Phi Beta Kappa with bachelor’s degrees in journalism and history from Indiana University. She also holds a juris doctor degree with honors from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. 

This award recognizes a graduate who is a current or former judge and has the integrity and commitment to fairness, freedom, and equality which exemplify the highest ideals of the judicial system. 

Kay Woods served as a United States Bankruptcy Judge in Youngstown from 2004 through 2018.  Prior to taking the bench, she was the Associate General Counsel at LTV Steel Company, Inc. in Cleveland from 1986 to 2004 where she managed litigation, Y2K compliance, business contracts, and LTV’s two chapter 11 bankruptcies (filed in the SDNY in 1986 and in the NDOH in 2001).  Before joining LTV, Kay was a litigation associate at Jones Day in Cleveland from 1981 through 1985.  She received her B.S. magna cum laude from Bowling Green State University in 1973 and her J.D. from The Ohio State University College of Law in 1981 summa cum laude and Order of the Coif.   

This honor is awarded to a graduate for their exceptional achievement or outstanding service to the college or community. 

RonNell Andersen Jones is a University Distinguished Professor and Teitelbaum Chair in Law at the University of Utah and an Affiliated Fellow at Yale Law School’s Information Society Project. A former newspaper reporter, she teaches and writes on legal issues affecting the press and on the role of journalism in a democracy. Her scholarship has appeared in numerous books and journals, including Northwestern Law Review, Michigan Law Review, UCLA Law Review, and the Harvard Law Review Forum. A regular public commentator on press freedom issues, she has published op-eds with CNN and The New York Times and has been featured in dozens of national news outlets. She clerked for Judge William A. Fletcher on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on the United States Supreme Court. RonNell is a 2000 graduate of The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. 

Given annually to a Moritz Law graduate for exceptional achievement or outstanding service to the college or community. 

• 2024 – Linda J. Fisher '82
• 2023 – Liza Kessler ‘93
• 2022 – Frank C. Woodside, III, ’69
• 2021 – Steven Smathers '76
• 2020 – John T. Mills ’73
• 2019 – Kara J. Trott ’91
• 2018 – William P. Blair III ’70
• 2017 – Michael H. Carpenter ’77
• 2016 – Frank E. Bazler ’53
• 2015 – Rep. William M. McCulloch ’25
• 2014 – Edwin M. Cooperman ’67
• 2013 – William Isaac ’69
• 2012 – Erin Moriarty  ’77
• 2011 – Alec Wightman ’75
• 2010 – Carl D. Smallwood ’80
• 2007-08 – Sally Ward Bloomfield ’69
• 2006 – Frank A. Ray ’73
• 2005 – W. Ray Persons ’78
• 2004 – Dan D. Sandman ’73
• 2003 – John W. Creighton ’57
• 2002 – Thomas J. Fiscus ’75
• 2001 – John W. Garland ’74
• 2000 – Michael E. Flowers ’79
• 1999 – Jack Grant Day ’38, William B. Saxbe ’48
• 1998 – Carter C. Kissell ’27
• 1997 – Joanne Wharton Murphy ’58
• 1996 – Ronald K. Bennington ’61

Granted to an individual who has graduated from Moritz Law within the past 10 years whose accomplishments exemplify outstanding professionalism or loyalty to the college community. The award is presented by the Moritz College of Law Alumni Society.

• 2024 – Cheyenne N. Chambers ‘14
• 2023 – Janay Stevens '13
• 2022 – Luke A. Fedlam '13
• 2021 – Kwame Christian '13
• 2020 – Cat Packer ’15
• 2019 – Jaiza Page ’10 
• 2018 – Jessica Clarke ’08
• 2017 – Laura E. Heim ’08
• 2016 – Katherine S. Chappelear ’07
• 2015 – Asim Haque ’06
• 2014 – Erika Schoenberger ’04
• 2013 – Kathleen Clyde ’08
• 2012 – Andrew Weaver ’02, Jessica Weaver ’03
• 2011 – Hope and Anthony Sharett ’02
• 2010 – Brandon Lester ’05
• 2008 – Mónica Ramirez ’03
• 2007 – Todd Fried ’97
• 2006 – RonNell Andersen Jones ’00
• 2005 – Mark D. Wagoner Jr. ’97
• 2004 – Mark Godsey ’93
• 2003 – Brian E. Burns ’97
• 2002 – Bill R. Hedrick ’96
• 2001 – Kimberly Shumate ’92
• 2000 – Theodore L. Adams ’91
• 1999 – Thomas E. Geyer ’90
• 1998 – Julia Dorrian ’96
• 1997 – Jeffrey S. Sutton ’90
• 1996 – Kurtis A. Tunnell ’87

Awarded to a current or former judge who has graduated from the college and whose personal integrity and commitment to fairness, freedom, and equality exemplify the highest ideals of the judicial system. The award is presented by the Moritz College of Law Alumni Society.

• 2024  – Elizabeth Merrill Welch ‘95
• 2023  – Magistrate Judge Chelsey Vascura ‘03
• 2022 – The Honorable Kimberly Cocroft, '00
• 2021 – Elizabeth Gill '87
• 2020 – Sara Lioi ’87
• 2019 – Judge Ann Donnelly ’84
• 2018 – Judith French ’88
• 2017 – Jeffrey S. Sutton ’90
• 2016 – Peggy L. Bryant ’76
• 2015 – John E. Hoffman, Jr. ’83
• 2014 – Evelyn Stratton ’79
• 2013 – Richard A. Frye ’73
• 2012 – Herman J. Weber ’52
• 2011 – Paul Pfeifer ’66
• 2010 – Jeffery P. Hopkins ’85
• 2008-09 – Norah McCann King ’75 and Mark R. Abel ’69
• 2007 – Robert M. Duncan ’52
• 2006 – Carla D. Moore ’77
• 2005 – George C. Smith ’59
• 2004 – Thomas J. Moyer ’64
• 2003 – James L. Graham ’62
• 2002 – William T. Bodoh ’64
• 2001 – David A. Katz ’57
• 2000 – William K. Thomas ’35

This award honors a graduate or friend of the college who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to serving their community through pro bono work, public service, volunteer leadership, and/or civic engagement. This award honors individuals whose efforts have made a meaningful and lasting impact, advancing justice,and public good beyond the practice of law.

• 2024  – Nimesh M. Patel, '95*
• 2023  – Dr. Robert J. Weiler, Sr.*
• 2022 – Dr. Gregory J. Vincent '87*
• 2021 – Yvette McGee Brown*

* From 2021- 2024, this award was listed as the Inclusive Excellence Award.

In 2021, the college merged the George V. Voinovich Public Service Award and Community Service Award into The George V. Voinovich Humanitarian Award. This award is given annually to an alum or friend of the college who has devoted significant time and energy to causes and projects that benefit the greater community and the welfare of humanity.

• 2023 – Angela Plummer ‘92
• 2022 – Kathleen C. McGarvey ’03
• 2021 – Michael Corey '12

In 2021, the college merged the George V. Voinovich Public Service Award and Community Service Award into The George V. Voinovich Humanitarian Award. This award was presented by the Moritz College of Law Alumni Society to an alumni whose public interest career exemplified a commitment to promote and provide access to the legal system. Examples of public interest organizations included, but were not limited to, legal aid, legal services, civil liberties, pro bono representation, or volunteer lawyer projects. 
 

• 2020 – Larry Langdon ’61
• 2019 – Brian E. Sandoval ’89
• 2018 – Michael Finn ’67
• 2017 – Sherri B. Lazear ’85
• 2016 – Robert Solomon II ’88
• 2015 – Carolyn Phillips ’81
• 2014 – Leslie Varnado ’74
• 2013 – Dianna Parker ’05
• 2012 – Thomas Mlakar ’92
• 2011 – Kelly Schneider ’96
• 2009-10 – Susan G. Tobin ’81
• 2007 – Yvette McGee Brown ’85
• 2006 – James M. Daniels ’78, Frank C. Woodside III ’69
• 2005 – Gene King ’83
• 2004 – Ilene Cohn ’85
• 2003 – Kimberly Skaggs ’93
• 2002 – Evelyn L. Stratton ’78
• 2001 – Patricia Y. Hernandez ’92
• 2000 – Karen Jones Sarjeant ’75

In 2021, the college merged the George V. Voinovich Public Service Award and Community Service Award into The George V. Voinovich Humanitarian Award. The Community Service Award award was presented by the Moritz College of Law Alumni Society to a Moritz Law graduate who volunteered significant and sustained time and expertise to assist a local, state, national, or international humanitarian organization.
 

• 2020 – Doug Mancino ’74
• 2019 – Terrence P. Kessler ’75
• 2018 – Marchelle Moore ’98
• 2017 – Peter G. Eikenberry ’64
• 2016 – Robert W. Briggs ’66
• 2015 – Steve Jemison ’75
• 2014 – Steve Chappelear ’77
• 2013 – Mimi Dane ’89
• 2012 – Gregory J. Vincent ’87 Ph.D.
• 2011 – Daniel P. McQuade ’67
• 2010 – Suzanne K. Richards ’74
• 2007-08 – Duane Isham ’53
• 2006 – David Braff ’84, Robert Reeder ’84
• 2005 – Michael M. Briley ’69
• 2004 – Linda L. Ammons ’87
• 2003 – Susan E. Brown ’71
• 2002 – Frederick L. Ransier, III ’74, Kathleen H.Ransier ’74
• 2001 – R. Kent Wellington, II ’91
• 2000 – J. Gilbert Reese ’52