Honors & Awards
Graduation with Honors
Graduates shall be granted the Juris Doctor degree with honors as determined by the cumulative grade point average: Summa cum laude 3.700 and above Magna cum laude 3.350 to 3.699 Cum laude 3.000 to 3.349 Students who attain a grade point average of 3.000 or above for a semester's work shall be placed on the Dean's List for that semester.
Awards at Graduation
Each year the Dean and Faculty of the College of Law select several law students for recognition for their outstanding academic performance and for their contributions to the legal education program. Among these awards, which are normally made after completion of the spring term, are the following:
The Law Faculty Awards
The Law Faculty Awards are made to graduating students for Outstanding Contribution to the College of Law Community, Outstanding Contribution to Scholarly Publications, and Outstanding Contribution to Advocacy Programs.
The Award for Academic Excellence
The Award for Academic Excellence is presented to the member of the graduating class with the highest grade point average for the six semesters of study at the College of Law.
The Alumni Council Scholarship
Award is designed to aid graduating students in taking the bar review course and is awarded at commencement. The award is donated by Intercounty Title Company of Illinois.
The Clover Family Fund
The Clover Family Fund is an endowed award for a graduating student who has provided the highest number of legal volunteer hours during his or her law school career. This endowment was established to honor the commitment of community volunteerism and leadership of Clover family members.
The Marla Dickerson Award
The Marla Dickerson Award is awarded to the graduating student who has demonstrated the strongest commitment to public interest law.
The Brian and Tamra McGough Prize
The Brian and Tamra McGough Prize is a cash award generously made available by a 1990 alumnus of the College of Law to the member of the graduating class who has done the most outstanding work in the corporate sequence of courses.
The Thurgood Marshall Award
The Thurgood Marshall Award is awarded to the graduating student whose educational performance, extracurricular activities, or community service best epitomizes Justice Marshall's deep understanding and commitment to equal justice under law, his dedication to the rule of law in a just society, and his use of the law as an instrument of social change.
The Francis G. Mays Prize
The Francis G. Mays Prize, established in honor of a distinguished member of the DeKalb County Bar, is awarded to the member of the graduating class who has outstanding achievement in those courses which focus on criminal law, procedure, and evidence.
The Brewster Parker Award
The Brewster Parker Award, established in memory of a distinguished member of the Illinois Bar and former chair of the Illinois Board of Trustees, is presented annually to the member of the graduating class who has outstanding achievement in courses focusing on property, real estate, and land use law.
The David Peskind Memorial Award
The David Peskind Memorial Award is a cash prize which is awarded annually to the member of the graduating class who has done the most outstanding work in family law. The prize is donated by the Aurora law firm of Peskind & Peskind, Ltd.
The Ruddy & Varga Bankruptcy Scholar Award
The Ruddy & Varga Bankruptcy Scholar Award is a cash prize which is awarded to the graduate who has achieved the highest grade or combined grade in bankruptcy course work. The award is sponsored by the Aurora law firm of Ruddy & Varga.