Law school honors 2019 graduates for scholarship, leadership and service

LAWRENCE – The University of Kansas School of Law honored Class of 2019 graduates at a hooding ceremony May 18. During the ceremony, nine students received awards for distinguishing themselves in scholarship, leadership and service to the law school and the community.

The recipients:

• Erica Ash, Tempe, Arizona: Walter Hiersteiner Outstanding Service Award
• Matthew Beal, South Portland, Maine: Class of 1949 Leadership Award
• Paula Bustamante Hoefer, Overland Park: Janean Meigs Memorial Award
• Chris Carey, Westwood Hills: Faculty Award for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement
• James Hampton, Wichita: Robert F. Bennett Award
• Dan Kopp, Belvidere, Illinois: Janean Meigs Memorial Award
• Nancy Musick, Topeka: Samuel Mellinger Scholarship, Leadership and Service Award
• Jessie Pringle, Chanute: Janean Meigs Memorial Award
• Jacob Turner, Mission: Justice Lloyd Kagey Leadership Award

Michael Hayes served as the 2019 banner carrier, an honor bestowed upon a student who exemplifies excellence in their program. Hayes, of Pittsburg, graduated with a juris doctorate and a doctorate in philosophy.

The award winners were part of a class composed of 102 recipients of the juris doctor as well as one Master of Laws in American Legal Studies and three Doctor of Juridical Science graduates. Fourteen students also graduated from the Master of Science in Homeland Security: Law & Policy program.

Funds for the awards are managed by KU Endowment, the independent, nonprofit organization serving as the official fundraising and fund-management organization for KU. Founded in 1981, KU Endowment was the first foundation of its kind at a U.S. public university.

Student award recipients are listed below by hometown.

Erica Ash, of Tempe, Arizona, received the Walter Hiersteiner Outstanding Service Award, given to the student whose service to his or her fellow students in the law school and to the university community demonstrates the greatest promise for contribution to the legal profession and to society. Ash served as symposium editor for the Kansas Law Review and as president for Women in Law. She also participated in moot court and the Federal Bar Association, received awards for legal writing and oral advocacy, and helped prepare tax returns for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Ash is a graduate of Highland High School and Arizona State University.

Matthew Beal, of South Portland, Maine, received the Class of 1949 Leadership Award, given annually to the student who, in the opinion of the faculty, contributed most significantly to the overall experience of the students in Green Hall. Beal has been a consistent leader in the law school and has shown dedication to the larger community. He served as president for the Black Law Students Association (BLSA) and helped to form and steward a pre-BLSA group for undergraduate students. He was vice president of the Public Interest Law Society and participated in the International Law Society, and he was a defense and prosecuting attorney with the KU Parking and Transit Traffic Court. Beal is the son of Constance Beal and Kenneth Beal and a graduate of South Portland High School and Avila University.

Paula Bustamante Hoefer, of Overland Park, received the Janean Meigs Memorial Award, given to a student who has demonstrated a caring spirit in service to the students of the law school or to the community at large. Bustamante showed a commitment to public service as an officer for the Hispanic American Law Students Association and the KU Association of Trial Lawyers. She served as managing editor for the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy, the first Latina student to be selected for that position in the publication’s history. She was also active with Women in Law. Bustamante is the daughter of Yolanda Bustamante and Jose Bustamante and a graduate of Notre Dame de Sion School and Creighton University.

Chris Carey, Westwood Hills, received the Faculty Award for Outstanding Scholastic Achievement, given to the graduating student selected by the faculty as having made the most significant contribution toward overall legal scholarship. Carey excelled in moot court, with accolades including a national championship at the National Native American Law Students Association Moot Court Competition, representing KU at the National Moot Court Competition in New York City, and winning Best Oral Advocate in the final rounds of KU Law’s 2018 In-House Moot Court Competition. Carey published an article and was an articles editor for the Kansas Law Review, and was a Shook, Hardy & Bacon Scholar. He is the son of Laura Carey and Richard Carey and a graduate of Shawnee Mission East High School and KU.

James Hampton, of Wichita, received the Robert F. Bennett Award, given to a graduate whose undergraduate degree is from a Kansas university or college and who has demonstrated leadership qualities through public service. Hampton advocated for diversity, equity and inclusion as president of the Dean’s Diversity Leadership Council and president of OUTLaws & Allies, and served on the school’s Academic Affairs Committee. Outside of Green Hall, he published an article on LGBTQ+ equality and worked with access-to-justice organizations. He was captain of KU’s men’s cross country and track teams during his 1L year and stayed active as a graduate assistant with KU Athletics, helping student-athletes with professional development and leadership skills. Hampton is the son of Frances Hampton and David Hampton and a graduate of Bishop Carroll Catholic High School and KU.

Dan Kopp, of Belvidere, Illinois, received the Janean Meigs Memorial Award, given to a student who has demonstrated a caring spirit in service to the students of the law school or to the community at large. Kopp was recognized for his leadership and guidance to his law school classmates, including mentoring first-year students as head of the Dean’s Fellows and working as a teaching assistant. Kopp served as business manager for the Kansas Law Review, was assistant justice for the school’s Moot Court Council and won Best Brief at KU Law’s 2018 In-House Moot Court Competition. He is the son of Leslie Kopp and Robert Kopp and a graduate of Belvidere High School and Coe College. 

Nancy Musick, of Topeka, received the Samuel Mellinger Scholarship, Leadership and Service Award, given to the student who has most distinguished him or herself in the combined areas of scholarship, leadership and service. Musick was editor in chief of the Kansas Law Review, where her article, “Whose Burden Is It Anyway? Protecting ERISA from an Unnecessary Burden-Shifting Framework,” was published. She was also an active member of the Dean’s Diversity Leadership Council and was a Shook, Hardy & Bacon Scholar. Musick participated in moot court, bringing home multiple honors from the National Native American Law Students Moot Court Competition. She is the daughter of Jenny Ramsey and Tom Morgan and a graduate of Shawnee Heights High School and Washburn University.

Jessie Pringle, Chanute, received the Janean Meigs Memorial Award, given to a student who has demonstrated a caring spirit in service to the students of the law school or to the community at large. Pringle showed exceptional leadership skills on the Jessup Moot Court Team and as president of KU Law’s Student Ambassadors, and she was active in the Women in Law group. She interned with the Medical-Legal Partnership Field Placement Program at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, participated in the Public Interest Law Society and chaired the student advisory board for Legal Services for Students. Pringle is the daughter of Cathy Pringle and Kent Pringle and a graduate of Chanute High School and KU.

Jacob Turner, of Mission, received the Justice Lloyd Kagey Leadership Award, given to the graduate who has most distinguished him or herself through leadership in the law school. Turner attended KU Law through the Rice Scholar Program, which provides full tuition and fees to students with outstanding academic and leadership records. He has been a recognized leader in Green Hall, serving as a KU Law Student Ambassador, a Lawyering Skills teaching assistant, and a Shook, Hardy & Bacon Scholar. He was also a publications editor for the Kansas Journal of Law & Public Policy. Turner is the son of Pat Turner and Grey Turner and a graduate of Warrensburg High School and the University of Tulsa.