April 23, 2024

ASU Law alumni and longtime staff member honored for championing mentorship at Jurimetrics banquet

In a world where individual success often takes center stage, mentorship emerges as a powerful reminder that achievement is not about navigating the journey alone, but rather about finding guidance, support and wisdom from those who have walked the path before. 

With enthusiastic support from alumni and donors over the past year, the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University established two endowed annual scholarships to recognize that support, naming the awards in honor of three longtime mentors. 

ASU Law first recognized two alumni who have consistently awarded scholarships to law students who serve as mentors with Jurimetrics, The Journal of Law, Science, and Technology, a student-run law journal published quarterly in partnership with the American Bar Association. 

Monica Limón-Wynn (JD ‘98), managing attorney at Limón-Wynn Law, and David Nigro (JD ‘07), intellectual property partner at Snell & Wilmer, were honored at the Jurimetrics Banquet on April 10 where the journal announced the naming of The David P. Nigro and Monica A. Limón-Wynn Outstanding 3L Mentor Award. 

“It's like a legacy. I didn't expect it, so it was a nice, very pleasant surprise,” Nigro said. 

Jurimetrics staff decided to name the award after Limón-Wynn and Nigro because of their paramount involvement, even starting as students. The 3L mentorship award was created in 2011 by Limón-Wynn to recognize the mentorship provided by 3L students and has been supported and sustained by Limón-Wynn and Nigro ever since.

“Both David and Monica are active Jurimetrics alumni, and both have supported the journal since they graduated from ASU Law. The naming of the award seeks to recognize their sustained support and highlight to the Phoenix law community their importance to the journal and ASU Law more generally,” said Diana Bowman, Jurimetrics’ faculty editor and associate dean for applied research and partnerships.

Gabriella Ahles, JD candidate graduating in May and Jurimetrics’ editor-in-chief, said that the mentorship award encourages collaboration and engagement, where 3Ls can provide guidance on how to draft a journal article, cite check and ultimately make sure that the journal gets published with high standards.

“At ASU Law, students are lucky to experience a community of peers that are consistently rooting for their success,” Ahles said. “The mentorship provided by 3Ls to law students that are earlier on in their journeys can be career-altering— whether it be advice on classes, a professional connection made, or a word of encouragement. Jurimetrics is a space where mentorship bonds are often formed, and we strive to recognize mentors that go the extra mile for their mentees.”

Nigro said he supports this award because he understands how pivotal mentorship can be and how participation in a law journal can help shape a student for success in the legal profession. He also notes that the journal creates a community where alumni stay connected far after their student membership is over.

“By being part of a law journal, you get to work with the other students more closely than you do in a typical class and that can lead to longer-term relationships, especially if you practice in the same area,” Nigro said. “I’m still in touch with peers I was in Jurimetrics with. Years later, one of the editors I worked with, our children played T-ball and Little League together for a number of years. He was a class ahead of me and I probably wouldn't have gotten to know him otherwise if it wasn’t for the law journal.”

Jurimetrics didn’t stop its recognition with Limón-Wynn and Nigro. Also at the April 10 event, Bowman asked all of the Jurimetrics alumni in the room to come to the front for a special recognition. Together, they made the surprise announcement of The Deb Pogson Prize for Dedication, Excellence and Betterment, named after ASU Law staff Deb Pogson, Jurimetrics’ managing editor since 2005.

 

“Deb has served as managing editor of Jurimetrics for nearly 19 years. During that time, she has touched the lives of hundreds of our students, many of whom are still in contact with the school because of Deb,” Bowman said. “She is the heart and the soul of the journal. What better way to recognize her contribution than by creating an award with her name? And we are delighted to be able to do so while she is still in her role, so that she may select the first-ever Deb Pogson Prize for Dedication, Excellence and Betterment winner.”

“It’s an honor and a privilege to have a scholarship award named after me. It was a surprise in a good way. I am delighted that another ASU Law scholarship opportunity will be available to worthy law students,” Pogson said.

The recognition of Limón-Wynn, Nigro and Pogson marks a significant milestone in the ongoing legacy of mentorship and community within ASU Law and Jurimetrics. Their dedication to fostering opportunities for law students exemplifies the enduring impact of guidance and support in legal education. 

“Jurimetrics has been unmeasurably impactful on my life,” said Ahles. “There are certainly the educational components of working on a journal, but the best part of the experience is the irreplaceable sense of camaraderie and friendship among editors. After having the chance to chat with alumni at our annual banquet, it is clear that this sense of community has always surrounded the journal and has been passed down through the decades of our journal's existence.”

For more information about each award or to donate to the scholarship funds, visit the ASU Foundation pages for the David P. Nigro and Monica A. Limón-Wynn Outstanding 3L Mentor Award and Dr. Deborah Pogson Prize for Dedication, Excellence, and Betterment.

 

Written by Kourtney Kelley