An important part of our mission is to recognize distinguished accomplishments in education law. This page describes our awards and past recipients. We welcome nominations and invite ELA members to get involved in committees. The Awards Committee provides overall management of the Education Law Association awards process and coordination among its several subcommittees responsible for managing nominations and selecting recipients of each of the following awards.Â
Dissertation of the Year
Deadline for 2023 nominations: August 1, 2023
This award recognizes exemplary dissertations by doctoral students on topics related to education law.
2022 No Award
2021 Gillian Foss and Dominic Ledesma
2020 Patrick Ober
2019 No Award
2018 No Award
2017 No Award
2016 Marilyn S. Anglade
2015 Maria Lewis
2014 Michelle Gough McKeown
2013 Robert Fitzgerald
2012 Erica Salkin
2011 Janet R. Decker
2010 No Award
2009 Scott R. Bauries
2008 Howard J. Eberwein, III
2007 Laurence B. Alexander
2006 Rodney Marty
2005 John LaNear
2004 Judith Risch
2003 Richard Elliott Day
2002 Watt Lesley Black, Jr.
2001 Kerry Brian Melear
2000 Theresa B. Harrison
1999 Cheri C. Magill
1998 Douglas R. Pearson
1997 Susan Clark
1996 Patricia Todd Bausch
1995 No Award
1994 Julie Fisher Mead
1993 James Thomason Jeffers
1992 Anne Browning Masters
1991 Jill Jones White
1990 Terrence Leas
1989 No Award
1988 No Award
1987 Rosette Liberman
Dissertation of the Year
Awarded at the ELA Annual Conference
Deadline for 2022 nominations: August 1, 2022
Purpose
To recognize exemplary dissertations by doctoral students in the field of education law. In addition to the traditional legal research type of dissertations, studies that utilize empirical research on specific problems will be considered. Topics selected should reflect a direct relationship with educational law. The award is named after Joseph C. Beckham, ELA’s President in 1991 and Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Florida State University.
Eligibility
Dissertations defended in the three years prior to the current ELA Annual Conference year (e.g., if the conference is occurring in 2021, dissertations could have been defended in 2021, 2020, or 2019).
Criteria
The dissertation will be evaluated on how well it:
- Is conceptually clear and addresses important problem and/or present an important hypothesis;
- Includes a comprehensive and relevant review of applicable literature;
- Utilizes a methodologically sound approach;
- Includes a cogent analysis of the data;
- Provides significant results and discussion; and
- Features polished writing style and appropriate documentation.
Nomination
While it is preferable that the chair or a member of the student’s dissertation committee who is a member of ELA nominate the dissertation, any ELA member in good standing may nominate an exemplary dissertation for the award. Self-nominations will not be accepted. The nominating ELA member should submit 1) a letter of nomination that includes an endorsement attesting to the nominee’s eligibility and specifying the meritorious nature of the dissertation, and 2) a copy of the dissertation that has no personally identifying information and has the abstract as the first page.
Please submit the nomination by email to ELA’s Awards Committee, at awards@educationlaw.org. Please include the name of the award in the subject line of the email message.
Selection
ELA’s Joseph C. Beckham Dissertation of the Year Subcommittee reviews and evaluates submissions for the Dissertation of the Year Award and selects the award recipient, if one is granted for the year. The subcommittee uses a blind-review process, with multiple readers. If necessary, the first review will be based on the nominee’s abstract. While the subcommittee will make every attempt to select a meritorious dissertation each year, the award will only be given if the committee finds an exemplary dissertation.
Award
The award recipient will receive:
- A presentation of an award plaque during the ELA Annual Conference;
- Complimentary Annual Conference registration for the year of award; and
- One year’s complimentary ELA membership.
Distinguished Scholarship in Education Law
Deadline for 2023 nominations: August 1, 2023
This award recognizes an outstanding article, book, book chapter, or other form of scholarly legal writing in the field of education law. It must be a work of scholarly excellence that has an impact on education law, published in the past two calendar years prior to the deadline, and written by an individual author.
2022 Christopher D. Thomas (right)
2021 Marcos A. Mendoza
2020 Justin Driver
2019 Maryam Ahranjani
2018 Barbara Fedders
2017 Karen M. Tani
2016 Kimberly Jenkins Robinson and Perry A. Zirkel
2015 Derek W. Black
2014 Michael Olivas
2013 Anne Newman
2012 Eloise Pasachoff
2011 Martha L. Minow
2010 Kristi L. Bowman
2009 Benjamin M. Superfine
2008 James E. Ryan
2007 Goodwin Liu
Distinguished Scholarship in Education Law
Awarded at the ELA Annual Conference
Deadline for 2022 nominations: August 1, 2022
Purpose
To recognize an outstanding article, book, book chapter, or other forms of scholarly legal writing in the field of education law. The award is named after the late Steven S. Goldberg, an ELA member, a professor of education, and the Educational Leadership Program Coordinator at Arcadia University, whose gift funded the award.
Eligibility
The work must have been published within the past two calendar years prior to the deadline for nominations. It must have been written by an individual author who need not be an ELA member.
Criteria
The work must be of scholarly excellence and impact education law.
Nomination
Any ELA member may nominate a piece of legal scholarship. In addition, the Goldberg Award Subcommittee of ELA’s Awards Committee may, at its discretion, review written works and select an outstanding piece that has not been formally nominated. Self-nominations will not be accepted. The nominating ELA member should submit 1) a letter of nomination stating the justification for the nomination and 2) a copy of the nominated work.
Please submit the nomination by email to ELA’s Awards Committee at awards@educationlaw.org. Please include the award’s name in the email message’s subject line.
Selection
The Goldberg Award Subcommittee reviews and evaluates nominated and other eligible works and selects the award recipient, if one is granted for the year. While the subcommittee will make every attempt to select a meritorious brief each year, the award will only be given if the committee finds an exemplary piece of scholarship.
Award
The award recipient will receive:
- A presentation of an award plaque during the ELA Annual Conference;
- Complimentary Annual Conference registration for the year of award; and
- One year’s complimentary ELA membership.
Additionally, the winner will be invited to present on the topic of the recognized work at the ELA Annual Conference.
Education Law Writing
Deadline for 2023 nominations: August 1, 2023
This award is intended to generate increased interest in, and recognition of, education law among not only graduate students in schools of education but also students in law schools. It recognizes an outstanding student manuscript addressing one or more legal issues within any of the various contexts of education, including public and private K-12 schools and institutions of higher education, especially current and emerging issues.
2022 Breanna Bollig
2021 Chris Yarrell
2020 Sierra Brown
2019 No Award
2018 Sarah Loy
2017 Daisha L. Hodges
2016 Stephen S. Worthington
2015 Cerin Lindgrensavage
2014 Tyler Brewer
2013 Matthew Saleh
2012 Calanthe A. Cope-Kasten
2011 Dylan P. Grady
2010 Caitlan M. Cullitan
2009 Lauren S. Foley
2008 Kimberly Gee
Education Law Writing
Awarded at the ELA Annual Conference
Deadline for 2022 nominations: August 1, 2022
Purpose
To generate increased interest in, and recognition of, education law among not only graduate students in education schools but also students in law schools. It recognizes an outstanding student manuscript addressing one or more legal issues within any of the various contexts of education, including public and private K-12 schools and institutions of higher education, especially current and emerging issues. The award is named for the late George Jay Joseph, a Baltimore businessman who founded two legal publishing companies and the Journal of Law and Education.
Eligibility
The manuscript must have been drafted in the two years prior to the current ELA Annual Conference year (e.g., if the Annual Conference is occurring in 2021, manuscripts must have been written in 2021 or, 2020, or 2019). It must have not been previously published and not under review elsewhere for publication. It must be authored by an individual law student or individual student in a graduate program. Doctoral dissertations are not eligible, as they are eligible instead for ELA’s Joseph C. Beckham Award. However, manuscripts that synthesize dissertations may be submitted provided that they meet the specifications.
Criteria
The criteria for selection of the scholarly manuscript are the following:
- Subject matter: The work addresses one or more legal issues within any of the various contexts of education, including public and private PK-12 schools and institutions of higher education, especially current and emerging issues in elementary and secondary public education;
- Substance: The work provides comprehensive and accurate coverage of a topic of significance to education law;
- Originality: The work contributes to the field of education law by offering a novel and creative analysis;
- Style: The work’s writing and organization are clear; and
- Effectiveness: The work’s thesis or argument is supported persuasively with references throughout.
Nomination
Most nominations for the Joseph award are submitted by the student authors themselves. However, any ELA member or the professor of the nominee also may nominate a manuscript. The self-nominating or nominating individual should submit 1) a cover letter identifying the author, with the author’s academic institution and contact information; and 2) a copy of the nominated work that does not include personally identifiable information; that includes footnotes that carefully conform to the Blue Book citation style; and that is approximately 15,000 words in length.
Please submit the nomination by email to ELA’s Awards Committee at awards@educationlaw.org. Please include the award’s name in the email message’s subject line.
Selection
The Joseph Award Subcommittee of ELA’s Awards Committee utilizes a blind review process, with multiple readers. The readers will provide feedback for revision because the article is being submitted for publication. While the subcommittee will make every attempt to recommend a meritorious manuscript each year, the award will only be given if the committee finds an exemplary manuscript.
Award
The subcommittee will provide the awardee and the Editor(s) of the University of South Carolina’s Journal of Law and Education with the reviewers’ feedback. The Journal will collaborate with the awardee to revise the manuscript for publication.
In addition, the award recipient will receive:
- A presentation of an award plaque during the ELA Annual Conference;
- Complimentary Annual Conference registration for the year of award; and
- One year’s complimentary ELA membership.
Distinguished Service
Deadline for 2023 nominations: August 1, 2023
This award is presented to individuals with a long history of service to ELA and with an accomplished record of contribution to the field of education law. Their work must have had an impact nationally in the field of law and education and should be recognized through other national organizations, by briefs filed in high courts, or by other noteworthy contributions in the field. The award is named after Marion A. McGhehy (1921-1982) who served as president in 1961, and then as executive director from 1962 to 1982 of ELA in its original incarnation as the National Organization on Legal Problems in Education (NOLPE), and who also led both the Indiana School Boards Association and the Kansas Association of School Boards.
2022 R. Craig Wood (Florida) (Deceased)
2021 Christopher P. Borreca
2020 No award
2019 Lynn Rossi Scott
2018 Patrick D. Pauken
2017 William E. Thro
2016 Lois F. Berlin
2015 Susan G. Clark
2014 Richard Fossey
2013 P. Tyson Bennet
2012 No award
2011 David M. Schimmel
2010 Terrence Leas
2009 R. Craig Wood (Virginia)
2008 Allan G. Osborne
2007 M. David Alexander
2006 Philip TK Daniel
2005 Rick Dickinson
2004 Ralph D. Mawdsley
2003 Jeffrey J. Horner
2002 Charles J. Russo
2001 Clifford P. Hooker
2000 Perry Zirkel
1999 D. Parker Young
1998 John Lewis
1997 Nelda Cambron-McCabe
1996 Joseph C. Beckham
1995 August W. Steinhilber
1994 Floyd G. Delon
1993 Martha L. Ware (Deceased)
1992 Martha M. McCarthy
1991 Kelly Frels
1990 Stephen B. Thomas
1989 Walter L. Hetzel
1988 M. Chester Nolte
1987 Irving C. Evers (Deceased)
1986 E. Edmund Reutter, Jr.
1985 Roger M. Shaw (Deceased)
1984 Reynolds C. Seitz
Distinguished Service
Awarded at the ELA Annual Conference
Deadline for 2022 nominations: August 1, 2022
Purpose
To recognize outstanding service in the field of education law and to the Education Law Association. The award is named after Marion A. McGhehy (1921-1982) who served as president in 1961, and then as executive director from 1962 to 1982 of ELA in its original incarnation as the National Organization on Legal Problems in Education (NOLPE), and who also led both the Indiana School Boards Association and the Kansas Association of School Boards.
Eligibility
ELA members, living or deceased.
Criteria
The individual receiving the award must have a long history of service to the Education Law Association, and the individual’s work must have had an impact nationally in the field of law and education.
Nomination
Any ELA member may nominate a recipient by submitting 1) a nomination letter that addresses the McGhehey Award criteria in some detail, and 2) the nominee’s current C.V. with education law contributions highlighted. The discussion of contributions to the field should include specific publications, presentations, and other accomplishments. The discussion of service to ELA should identify specific committees and leadership roles. Additional letters of support may be provided. Members of the ELA Awards Committee also can make nominations.
Please submit the nomination by email to ELA’s Awards Committee at awards@educationlaw.org. Please include the award’s name in the email message’s subject line.
Selection
The McGhehy Award Subcommittee of ELA’s Awards Committee reviews and evaluates submissions McGhehy Award and selects the award recipient if one is granted for the year.
Award
The award recipient will be presented with an award plaque during the ELA Annual Conference.
Outstanding Appellate Brief
Deadline for 2023 nominations: August 1, 2023
This award recognizes outstanding brief writing in an appellate court in a case concerning education law. The award is named after August W. Steinbhilber, Jr. (1932-2013), who, as EducationWeek reports, “helped shape education policy as the top federal lobbyist and later the general counsel of the National School Boards Association.”Â
2022 Christopher Lund (right)
2021 Husch Blackwell, LLP, the Council of the Great City Schools, and Eric S. Jaffe
2020 Richard Katskee
2019 No Award
2018 Michelle Cooper, Karen Glasser Sharp, Sara Bevins, Curtis T. Hill, Jr., Thomas M. Fisher, Lara Klangeneckert, Julia C. Payne
2017 Husch Blackwell LLP
2016 No Award
2015 Kevin M. McKenna
Appellate Brief of the Year
Awarded at the ELA Annual Conference
Deadline: August 15, 2021
Purpose
To recognize outstanding brief writing in an appellate court case involving education law. The award is named after the late August “Gus” Steinhilber, Jr., ELA’s President in 1977 and the longtime Associate Executive Director and General Counsel of the National School Boards Association.
Eligibility
An appellate brief filed in court between July 1 of the year preceding the Annual Conference Year and June 30 of the Annual Conference year. The author(s) need not be an ELA member(s). Amicus curiae briefs, as well as party briefs, are eligible.
Criteria
Because ELA is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy organization, selection will be made without regard to the brief’s legal position or the party on whose behalf it was written. The award is granted on the basis of excellent legal writing as determined by the Steinhilber Award Subcommittee of ELA’s Awards Committee. Criteria shall include:
- Quality of writing, including logical structure and flow of argument; conciseness and clarity; and artfulness of expression; and
- Quality of analysis, including presentation of the theory of the case and its limits; presentation of the doctrinal context; relevance to the court; use of relevant authority; and discussion of relevance to education law and to education generally.
Nomination
Any ELA member may nominate a brief. In addition, the Steinhilber Award Subcommittee may, at its discretion, review eligible appellate briefs and select an outstanding brief which has not been formally nominated. Self-nominations will not be accepted. The nominating ELA member should submit 1) a letter of nomination that includes an endorsement attesting to the nominee’s eligibility and specifying the meritorious nature of the brief and 2) a copy of the brief itself or a hyperlink link to it, with information as to its filing.
Please submit the nomination by email to ELA’s Awards Committee at awards@educationlaw.org. Please include the award’s name in the email message’s subject line.
Selection
The Steinhilber Award Subcommittee reviews and evaluates nominated and other eligible briefs and selects the award recipient, if one is granted for the year. While the subcommittee will make every attempt to select a meritorious brief each year, the award will only be given if the committee finds an exemplary brief.
Award
The award recipient will receive:
- A presentation of an award plaque during the ELA Annual Conference;
- Complimentary Annual Conference registration for the year of award; and
- One year’s complimentary ELA membership.
