On the eve of the Spring 2024 Commencement, members of the Stetson Law community gathered in the Great Hall to recognize the graduates who went above and beyond during their time in law school.
The event honored those who excelled in their studies, participated in an academic journal, distinguished themselves via the Honors Program, gained professional experience through a clinic or externship, exceeded the minimum pro bono hours requirement, or grew their advocacy skills in the competitive arena via the Dispute Resolution Board, the Moot Court Board, or the Trial Team.
College of Law Dean Benjamin Barros commended the students for seizing on opportunities to develop leadership skills and exceeding the inherently rigorous expectations of law school.
“Law school not only teaches you to be a lawyer — it also teaches you to be a leader,” Barros said. “Not only have you defined yourselves as leaders who are dedicated to justice and public service, you have also defined yourselves as leaders with stellar academic achievements.”
Recognizing a challenging time
Those honored included students who graduated in December of 2023 and May/August of 2024 – a cohort that started law school amid a global pandemic, shifting conversations about justice, and a mental health crisis affecting many students.
Stetson University Provost Elizabeth Skomp commended the students for excelling despite these additional layers of challenge.
Stetson University Provost Elizabeth Skomp addresses the honorees at the 2024 Honors & Awards Ceremony.
“Your faculty members have selected you as honorees thanks to your academic excellence and achievements,” Skomp said. “Not only have you distinguished yourselves; you’ve done so and shown bravery and resilience in the midst of these unusual, unpredictable, and challenging last few years. And for that, I believe you deserve double the congratulations.”
Exceptional Public Service
While the number of hours the class of 2024 spent working on journals, volunteering, and preparing for competitions could be impossible to quantify, honors for exceeding Stetson Law’s pro bono service requirement are attached to a number.
Named for Stetson Law graduate and Hall of Fame member, the William F. Blews Pro Bono Service Awardsrecognizes three students in each class who have performed the most pro bono hours – at least 120, which is double the requirement.
Of all the honorees, Spring 2024 grad Olivia Urban had the largest share, with 414 total hours of public service performed.
High achievement, top awards
The event culminated with the announcement of Stetson Law’s three most prestigious awards.
Honoring the graduating student who has shown the greatest promise of becoming an outstanding leader in the legal profession, the Walter Mann award was given to Victoria Noel Benson.The recipient of the Dean’s Excellence Award, presented each year by the dean to a student for extraordinary service to Stetson Law, was Rylie Ashling Peyton Pennell.
Finally, 11 past recipients of the top honor, the Edward D. Foreman Most Distinguished Student Award, gathered to celebrate the award’s newest honoree, Cameron Kubly.
The award comprises $5,000, a crystal trophy, and the name of the recipient cast in bronze on a plaque prominently displayed at the entrance of the Great Hall.
Citing such achievements as receiving the highest grade in 11 classes, serving as editor-in-chief of the Stetson Law Review, working as a federal judicial extern to the Honorable Charlene Honeywell, and acting in theatre productions such as freeFall’s God Bless You Mr. Rosewater, past recipients Andrew Chiang and Aleks Jagiella-Litts presented the award to Kubly.
In his brief acceptance remarks, Kubly thanked his family, particularly his wife Emma, faculty members, and his classmates.
“As I look out on this group, I am very proud to call all of you – my colleagues and hopefully to call many of you my lifelong friends,” Kubly said.
Original source can be found here.