As the 2023–2024 academic year draws to a close, the University of Michigan Law School announces the recipients of its annual student awards, including its most prestigious honors: the Bates, Mixer, and Stenn awards.
Henry M. Bates Memorial Scholarship Award
Nicholas Gadola Holmes, Emilia Rose Maluf, Benjamin D. Marvin-Vanderryn, Jordan Ari Schuler
Presented to outstanding seniors in the Law School, with account taken of scholarship in legal studies, personality, character, extracurricular interests, and promise of a distinguished career. The award was established in 1949 through the generosity of alumni and friends of the Law School in memory of the late Dean Henry M. Bates.
“I have gotten to know Nicholas as a student in class, in extracurriculars, and as a research assistant. He is one of the most impressive students I have interacted with as a law professor. He’s smart, professional, thoughtful, and kind. I cannot think of someone more deserving of this award.”—Nomination Statement
Nicholas Gadola Holmes received the Class of 1908 Memorial Scholarship Award for attaining the highest scholastic average at the start of his third year and multiple certificates of merit. He served on the executive board of Michigan Law’s Federalist Society chapter and hosted events that brought eight federal judges to the Law School. He served as a senior editor on the Michigan Law Review, co-president of the Catholic Law Students Association, co-president of the National Security Law Society, and coordinator at Michigan for the Syrian Accountability Project. Following graduation, Holmes will serve as a law clerk for the Hon. Britt Grant on the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit and then for the Hon. Jeffrey Sutton, chief judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
“Emmy is brilliant, kind, and intensely committed to the pursuit of justice. She manages to be serious about the law without taking herself too seriously, and she responds to others’ views with both rigor and generosity. I cannot wait to see what she does with her legal career.”—Nomination Statement
Emilia Rose Maluf received the Helen L. DeRoy Memorial Award for her note in the Michigan Law Review on the First Amendment implications of voter identification laws for transgender voters. She was an editor for the Michigan Law Review and the University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform. She served as a student-attorney with the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative and worked with the Eviction Defense Team. Maluf, who received the 2023 Jenny Runkles Memorial Award, co-founded Michigan Advocates for Civil Justice and co-chaired the Michigan Voting Project and the ACLU student chapter. She will clerk for the Hon. Toby J. Heytens on the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the Hon. Deborah L. Boardman on the US District Court for the District of Maryland.
“I’ve had numerous opportunities to engage with Ben since his first semester in law school. Every time we connect in a substantive context, I am left with an even greater sense of appreciation and admiration for his skills, judgment, and promise.”—Nomination Statement
Benjamin D. Marvin-Vanderryn served as a book review editor for the Michigan Law Review. He was a semifinalist in the Henry M. Campbell Moot Court Competition as a 2L and served on the executive board of the competition as the rules chair the following year. He was a research assistant for multiple professors, served as a senior judge for the First-Year Legal Practice program, and won a number of certificate of merit awards. Marvin-Vanderryn also worked as a student-attorney in the Criminal Appellate Practice Clinic. Following graduation, he will clerk for the Hon. Beryl A. Howell on the US District Court for the District of Columbia and then for the Hon. Pamela Harris on the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
“Jordan is simply a joy to work with, and I would feel good about communicating the Law School’s complete faith in Jordan to the outside world. He’s done extremely well in law school while also being involved in the community in about a billion and one different ways.”—Nomination Statement
As a student director of the Voting Rights Initiative, Jordan Ari Schuler helped track and analyze litigation under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act to aid practitioners. After his first year, he received the Jeffrey S. Lehman Legal Practice Award and multiple certificates of merit. He finished third in the 2023–2024 Henry M. Campbell Moot Court Competition and served on its executive board the previous year. He also served as a student-attorney in the Federal Appellate Litigation Clinic, a notes editor of the Michigan Law Review, co-president of the Jewish Law Students Association, and a co-captain of MLaw FC, the Law School’s soccer team. After graduation, Schuler will clerk for the Hon. Rachel Bloomekatz on the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Jane L. Mixer Memorial Award
Olivia Jackson Daniels, Nethra K. Raman, Schuyler Schill Stupica
Presented to the students who have made the greatest contribution to activities designed to advance the cause of social justice. Students, faculty, and staff provide nominations for the award, which was established in 1969 through the generosity of alumni and friends in memory of the late Jane L. Mixer, who died while she was a student at the Law School.
“Olivia’s superb record of achievement in every aspect of law school makes her a very deserving candidate—that she has managed to do so much on the clinical and extracurricular fronts is simply remarkable.”—Nomination Statement
Olivia Jackson Daniels served as a board member of MDefenders and the Student Rights Project. She also served on the board of the Sentence Commutation Project, which helps incarcerated people in Michigan seek clemency. She helped build the project into an official student group alongside Schuyler Schill Stupica and many others. Through her pro bono work, her experience as a student-attorney for the Michigan Innocence Clinic, and as an intern for two public defender offices, Daniels has worked closely with people directly affected by the criminal legal system. She also was a quarterfinalist in the Henry M. Campbell Moot Court Competition. Following graduation, she will clerk for the Hon. Joshua Deahl, ’06, on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals before pursuing work in public defense.
“Nethra has quietly built a resume at Michigan Law that demonstrates a commitment to social justice, particularly policing reform and reproductive rights. Her dedication straddles the practical and theoretical—but whether she is talking litigation strategy or normative values, her intellectual curiosity and ability to pinpoint the human element in legal issues is boundless.”—Nomination Statement
Nethra K. Raman was a book review editor for the Michigan Law Review, a research assistant for several professors, co-president of If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice, and a fellow in the Program in Race, Law, and History. As a student-attorney with the Civil Rights Litigation Initiative, she worked on a case in coordination with the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Michigan involving a wrongful arrest due to faulty use of facial recognition technology. Raman had externships with the national ACLU, Rights Behind Bars, and the MacArthur Justice Center. She will begin her career as a legal fellow with the MacArthur Justice Center’s Supreme Court & Appellate Program and then will clerk for the Hon. Roger Gregory, ’78, on the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
“As a co-director of the Sentence Commutation Project, Schuyler has gone above and beyond to advance social justice at the Law School and in the community. She has worked to grow this project and make it an official program at the Law School. This is a heavy task on top of other responsibilities.”—Nomination Statement
Pro bono service has been an integral part of Schuyler Schill Stupica’s Michigan Law experience. She has been a board member of the Student Rights Project and is a co-founder of the Sentence Commutation Project, which she and Olivia Jackson Daniels turned into an official organization at Michigan Law. Stupica also served as a student-attorney in the Juvenile Justice Clinic and as an Abolition Study Group facilitator through the Law School’s chapter of the National Lawyers Guild. She was a quarterfinalist in the Henry M. Campbell Moot Court Competition, where she was awarded Best Petitioner Brief in the quarterfinal round. Stupica is involved in MDefenders and will work as a trial attorney with the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender after graduation.
Irving Stenn Jr. Award
Andrew Del Vecchio, James “Tre” W. Fitts III, Eric Matthew Walker, Evelyn Winter
Presented to students who have demonstrated leadership and contributed, through extracurricular activities, to the well-being and strength of the Law School or University. The award, established in 1976, is made possible through the generosity of Irving Stenn Jr., ’55, and his father, Irving Stenn Sr., of Chicago.
“Andrew always has a thoughtful answer to every prompt. But more than that, his peers, having seen him and his work for three years, greatly respect and look to him for guidance, logic, and sanity when discussing the difficult matters often encountered in class and in casework.”—Nomination Statement
Andrew Del Vecchio is the founder and director of the Michigan Trial Academy, the Law School’s first student-run trial advocacy training program. He previously served as president of the competitive Mock Trial team and chair of the Henry M. Campbell Moot Court Competition board. He worked as a student-attorney in the Michigan Innocence Clinic and a senior judge for the First-Year Legal Practice program. Del Vecchio has experience as a research assistant, peer tutor, and resident assistant in the Lawyers Club and also received five certificates of merit. He will clerk for the Hon. David W. McKeague, ’71, on the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and then for the Hon. Christopher R. Cooper on the US District Court for the District of Columbia.
“Tre has created spaces for students from underrepresented backgrounds to feel like they have a home at Michigan Law and leave this campus prepared for the challenges ahead. I am exceptionally proud of him for his sustained commitment to inclusivity, justice, and overall student well-being.”—Nomination Statement
As executive development editor of the Michigan Law Review, James “Tre” W. Fitts III led the journal’s recruitment and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. He also served as judge chair on the executive board of the Henry M. Campbell Moot Court Competition, a senior judge for the First-Year Legal Practice program, media chair for the Black Law Students Association, and co-chair of the Alden J. “Butch” Carpenter Memorial Scholarship Award committee (after winning the award as a 1L). He also was a student-attorney in the Child Advocacy Law Clinic and Child Welfare Appellate Clinic. He co-authored a forthcoming book chapter on anticipatory neglect doctrine in American child welfare law. He will clerk for the Hon. Jamar K. Walker on the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
“As president of the student chapter of the Federalist Society, Eric worked to engage the larger Law School community. He is a bridge builder and has done so much to bring diverse ideological viewpoints to campus and build a community where right-of-center conservative and libertarian students feel a sense of belonging.”—Nomination Statement
Eric Matthew Walker was president of the Michigan Law Federalist Society, a quarterfinalist and co-chair of the 1L Oral Advocacy Competition, and a board member of the Christian Legal Society. He served as a senior judge in the First-Year Legal Practice program, was a research assistant to two professors, and co-authored a student note under the supervision of another professor. He also was a senior editor of the Michigan Law Review and a symposium editor of the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy. Walker will clerk for the Hon. Joan L. Larsen on the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, join Jones Day in Washington, DC, as an associate, and then clerk for the Hon. Lawrence VanDyke on the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
“Everything Evie does is with the goal of making the campus as inclusive, welcoming, and engaging as possible. The Law School is significantly better off with her contributions, and I’m confident it will continue to reap the benefits of her time on campus long after she graduates.”—Nomination Statement
Evelyn Winter created mentorship opportunities and developed 1L programming in her roles as co-chair of the First-Year Information program, mentorship chair for the Women Law Students Association, and membership coordinator for the Michigan Journal of Gender & Law. She also was communications chair for the American Constitution Society and logistics and outreach chair for the 1L Oral Advocacy Competition. Winter will begin her career as an associate with Jenner & Block in Chicago.
