Alumni News

Emory Moot Court Society concluded its annual Stange Competition with the Stange Awards Dinner, marking the Society’s first official return to in-person events since 2019.

The Center for the Study of Law and Religion (CSLR) is pleased to announce the appointment of Terri Montague as McDonald Distinguished Senior Fellow at CSLR, and Senior Lecturer at Emory Law School.

Wednesday, November 17, Dean Mary Anne Bobinski welcomed members of the class of 2021 back to Tull Auditorium for the first in-person swearing-in ceremony held in Tull Auditorium since 2019.

We are honored by the many veterans who choose to earn their law degree at Emory. On Veteran’s Day, we honor the commitment, valor, and sacrifices made by military personnel and their families that safeguard both our democracy and the rule of law. 

Rhani Lott Choi 10L was selected to direct a new student program for Academic Advising and Bar Success.

Suman Malempati left his career as a pediatric oncologist, researcher and associate professor of pediatrics to train as a social justice lawyer because he could “no longer be an observer.”

When a ValuJet DC-9 crashed in the Everglades 25 years ago on May 11, 1996, hundreds of lives were changed forever. But as a result of a lawsuit brought by the family and friends of Kathleen Kessler 72L, nearly 50 female Emory Law students have received scholarships to help them become the formidable trial lawyer she was.

The Emory Law Alumni Awards recognize outstanding alumni who have achieved distinction in legal practice, teaching, research, or public administration and who have demonstrated distinguished service to Emory Law, the Emory Alumni Association, or Emory University.

The membership of Emory’s American Inn of Court has voted to rename itself as The Judge Clarence Cooper American Inn of Court, after a 1967 Emory Law graduate and history maker within the judiciary.

Each year, the Emory Law Alumni Awards recognize outstanding alumni who have achieved distinction in legal practice, teaching, research, or public administration and who have demonstrated distinguished service to Emory Law, the Emory Alumni Association, or Emory University.

One of the law school’s signature events, the Emory Public Interest Committee’s (EPIC) Inspiration Awards,

On Tuesday, February 5, 2019, Emory University School of Law hosted the 23rd annual Emory Public Interest Committee's (EPIC) Inspiration Awards, which honored two community members and an Emory Law graduate for exceptional public service.

On February 5, Emory Law hosted the 23rd annual Emory Public Interest Committee's (EPIC) Inspiration Awards.

On Friday, April 27, 2018, Emory University School of Law hosted the annual Alumni Awards, bestowing honors on four distinguished graduates in recognition of their achievements in the field of law.

Emory Law alum Elizabeth L. "Lisa" Branch of Georgia has been nominated to serve as a Circuit Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Drew Findling 84L has gained some renown as a courtroom killer for an array of high-profile acts. But he has also taken on the role of a mentor, and even a father figure, to some clients as they try to outrun societal disadvantages (and youthful recklessness) in favor of fame. "It is increasingly disturbing to me, the 'X' that is on the forehead of people in this industry," Findling tells The New York Times. "There's such a target on these young guys," he said. "Every once in a while someone is going to make a mistake. But no one looks at all the good that comes out of what they do."

Manuel Burga, former president of Peru's soccer federation, was the first person to be acquitted among over 40 people and entities in the soccer world who were charged with a scheme to extract hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks. Of those, 24 pleaded guilty. Burga was cleared of a single racketeering conspiracy charge. He was represented by Bruce Udolf 79L. A former prosecutor, Udolf is now president of his own firm, where he concentrates his practice in white-collar criminal defense, investigations and corporate compliance.

Andrea Natale 17L used social media, a spreadsheet, and lawyer skills to help many Italian nationals in Florida and the Caribbean find their way to safety after Hurricane Irma.

Judge Elizabeth "Lisa" Branch was nominated by President Donald Trump to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit to fill the spot vacated by Judge Frank Hull, who is taking senior status, the Daily News reports. Branch was appointed to the Georgia Court of Appeals in 2012 leaving a position as a commercial litigation partner at Smith Gambrell & Russell.

A message from the new interim dean of Emory Law, Judson Graves 75L.

The Emory community is saddened to report the recent loss of a dear alumnus, Judge William O'Kelley 51C 53L.

Unlike a number of established law schools, Emory Law admitted women from its founding in 1916.

President Donald Trump has added veteran Washington lawyer John Dowd 65L to the team representing him in the investigations of possible collusion by the Trump campaign with Russia, Reuters reports, including the criminal probe being led by special counsel Robert Mueller.

A Mexican woman whose highly publicized deportation case in Georgia thrust her into the national debate over immigration may stay in the United States and be temporarily protected from deportation, U.S. District Judge Mark H. Cohen 79L ruled on June 12, The New York Times reports.

Lawrence Joseph Jefferson's 1985 death sentence has troubled federal judges for years. In April, U.S. District Court Judge Clarence Cooper 67L reaffirmed the position he took a decade ago, in a 71-page opinion that argues Jefferson's trial counsel--one of whom is now a Cobb County Superior Court judge--had been constitutionally ineffective.

The Emory University School of Law celebrated its 100th anniversary with a formal gala April 29 featuring former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former U.S. senator and Emory Law alumnus Sam Nunn.

As Emory Law prepared to celebrate its centennial year, Centennial planners invited members of the Emory Law community to nominate candidates for special recognition as one of 100 individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the law school and the world at large.

Former President Bill Clinton will deliver the keynote address at Emory Law's Centennial Gala on Saturday, April 29. Former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn 61L 62L will receive the school's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Emory Law's chair honoring US Representative John Lewis has been fully funded, allowing the school to conduct a national search for a scholar who will focus on areas "where racial discrimination persists."

Jacynta Brewton is Emory Law's new director of alumni relations. She joins the law school from the University of Maryland's School of Medicine.

Claire Sherburne 16L has been named the first recipient of the Aaron L. Buchsbaum Fellowship, which was established in 2014 by the late Buchsbaum and his wife, Esther.

In an open letter published in the Daily Report to Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, retired judge Thelma Wyatt Moore 71L, president of Advocacy for Action, Inc., asks him to consider increasing the diversity of the state Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Fulton County Superior Court when filling recent vacancies.

When the Daily Report announced the award winners in its annual "Lifetime Achievement" and "On the Rise" categories, more than a few Emory Law graduates were on the list. Congratulations to all our alumni for their continued success, dedication and service.

In a case watched around the world, Aloke Chakravarty 97L won a death-penalty verdict in May 2015 against the surviving brother responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing.

For a man who handles divorces all day, Randall Kessler 88L is surprisingly good at relationships. In fact, it¿s what his firm is founded on.

Three alumni credit their legal education for their success outside the profession.

A profile of Will Eye 16L who graduates with the class of 2016 on Monday, May 9, 2016.

John Lewis spoke to a capacity crowd at the screening of a new documentary telling his life story, "Get in the Way: The Journey of John Lewis," at Emory School of Law on March 26 when he noted of now being a film star, "It is almost too much for a boy who grew up in rural Alabama, 50 miles from Montgomery, on a farm, preaching to chickens."

Paola Arzu Stange 01C 05L and her husband, Kirk C. Stange, have established the Stange Law Firm Scholarship to honor top competitors in Emory Law's moot court program.

Keith J. Shapiro 83L has contributed $50,000 to endow the Keith J. Shapiro Writing Awards Fund. Two Keith J. Shapiro Writing Award winners will receive $1,000 awards, one for consumer bankruptcy writing and the other for corporate bankruptcy writing.

Feb. 18 and 19, the Emory Corporate Governance and Accountability Review and the Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution will partner to present ¿Fraud Against the Government & SEC Whistleblower Actions Training.¿ This event will feature more than 20 authorities on fraud, including U.S. attorneys, experts from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and judges.

Marietta attorney Lance Cooper 89L was profiled in Atlanta Magazine's January issue, in a story detailing his work on the lawsuit that alleged a faulty GM ignition switch led to the death of Brooke Melton in 2010. The case resulted in a massive recall of the company's vehicles.

The Emory University Board of Trustees has named Leah Ward Sears 80L to their executive committee.

On October 29, Emory Alumni Association welcomed two new members, Paul McLarty 63C 66L and Cecil Wilson MD 57C 61M, to the ranks of Emory Medalists, recipients of the highest honor bestowed on alumni.

Each year, the Emory @ Work program includes a friendly, nationwide competition in support of the Law School Fund for Excellence. The 2015 campaign included 560 Emory Law alumni at 30 firms, who raised more than $256,000 to support our students, faculty, and vital programs at the law school.

When Charter Communications was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, Doody became its general counsel and spent years restructuring the company. When he tired of the constant traveling, he attended the French Culinary Institute, became accredited in the first two levels of the Court of Master Sommeliers program, and took over business affairs for Vineyard Brands importer.

Friday, Sept. 25, Emory Law hosted its annual Alumni Awards, where four alumni and one beloved professor received top honors. The awards ceremony was held at 7 p.m. in Tull Auditorium, Gambrell Hall at the law school.

The latest issue of Emory Lawyer magazine is now available online.

Andrew H. Jones 14L says "manners were once, but are no longer, viewed as a social asset" in his exposition of civil discourse in the current political climate.

Emory Law closed its fiscal year on August 31, breaking all previous fundraising year-end totals. The school raised more than $7 million including three seven-figure gifts.

Aloke Chakravarty 97L spoke at this year's Welcome Week convocation about how Emory Law inspired him to make a difference.

The Atlanta Bar Association commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act with an historic conversation and panel discussion featuring five prominent attorneys who share an interest in voting rights cases, including Georgia's attorney general, Sam Olens 83L.

"Best College Values" recently named Emory University's Alumni Association among the Top 50 Most Powerful Alumni Networks.

UnitedLex has announced an innovative "legal residency" program with Emory Law and three other top U. S. law schools.

Three hundred ninety-one students received diplomas in Emory Law's diploma ceremony today.

John Dowd 65L gave his record of one of baseball's biggest scandals to Emory Law, and a related exhibit will run from July 1-30.

Laura Rodriguez 15L has been appointed as one of 25 Immigrant Justice Corps Fellows for the 2015 class.

Attorney General Sam Olens 83L discussed potential legal defense of Georgia's constitutional ban on gay marriage if the high court overrules bans on same-sex marriage: "If the court rules that Georgia's constitutional amendment is legal, the press release from my office will be that the Supreme Court has spoken."

Emory Law received a $1.5 million donation to help establish a John Lewis Chair in Civil Rights and Social Justice.

Monday, April 20, Emory University School of Law will host its second annual Diversity Speaker Series panel discussion.

Emory Law has once again been ranked 19th in U.S. News & World Report's assessment of U.S. law schools

Emory Law Professor William J. Carney and his wife, Jane, have created a challenge grant of $1 million to benefit the law school¿s Center for Transactional Law and Practice.

Emory Law alumnus Christian Miele 14L was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates, Legislative District 8, on Nov. 4. He was the top vote-getter in a closely contested race with six candidates, including two incumbents, running for the district's three House seats. Miele received 20,164 votes, or 19.4 percent of the total votes cast, in an election where each voter may vote for no more than three candidates. He will be sworn into office Jan. 14.

Jeremy Berry 97C 03L knew as an Emory freshman that he was interested in politics and government, and his resume shows it. As an undergrad, the political science major served as Student Government Association president, interned for the Clinton/Gore White House, and worked for a U.S. senator. But it was after graduation, during a stint at Emory's Office of Government and Community Affairs, that Berry experienced a pivotal moment--chauffeuring Congressman John Lewis around Emory¿s campus during a day-long visit.

"Diversity is important not because of the optics. Lots of places just want to look diverse. It is what people bring with them, not their skin color or sexual orientation," DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James Jr. said during the eighth annual Black Law Students Association speaker series, held at Emory Law. "It is their frame of reference and background. You are better as an institution if you are diverse. Diversity does not equal tokenism. It makes us greater."

Emory Law alumnus Linus Chen 08L, an attorney with the U.S. Department of the Interior, and David M. Moore, an adjunct professor at Emory Law, both wrote articles for the August 2014 ABA Section of Environment, Energy and Resources Endangered Species Committee newsletter.

Emory Law alum Whitney Rappole joined the Turner Environmental Law Clinic in representing the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) and investigating federal loan guarantees offered by the Department of Energy.

Emory Law offers a new concentration in its juris master program through a partnership with the Emory Global Health Institute.

Emory Lawyer is published twice annually by Emory University School of Law.

Emory Law honored five alumni for distinguished work in public service and volunteer efforts on the law school's behalf.

The 2013 BLSA Awards features keynote speaker C. Robert Henrickson 72L.

The Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory Law named Silas Allard as Associate Director

David Adelman 89L, U.S. ambassador to Singapore, discusses the role of southeast Asia in the global economy.

On Nov. 7, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal announced the appointment of George F. Hutchinson III 89L to the Gwinett County Superior Court Bench.

Allan Diamond 79L was appointed the new chair of the Advisory Board of the Emory University School of Law.

Elizabeth Branch 94L will be sworn in as judge for the Georgia Court of Appeals on Sept. 4.