ASU Law Class of 2026 gathers to reflect ahead of graduation

For one evening, the pressure of finals, deadlines and what comes next faded into the background.

Instead, the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law Class of 2026 gathered in the college’s courtyard on April 21 to do something simpler: sit together, take in the moment and share a meal at the annual graduation dinner.

Held each spring ahead of commencement, the dinner offers something the formal ceremony cannot — a chance to slow down and spend time with the people who shaped the law school experience.

The evening started with photos and conversation, as students moved from table to table, greeting friends, professors and mentors. This year’s gathering also included a visit and celebration of the Museum of Democracy, a traveling exhibit housed on the second floor of the law school that focuses on preserving the history of civic engagement. The night brought a lot of energy, but also something quieter underneath it — the sense that this was one of the last times everyone would be together like this.

By the time the program began, that feeling had settled in. Willard H. Pedrick Dean and Regents and Foundation Professor of Law Stacy Leeds opened the evening, putting it into words. “This dinner gives us a chance to come together and celebrate this class in a more personal way,” she said.

She described the moment as both exciting and bittersweet; the relief of finishing law school mixed with the realization that the routines and relationships that defined it are about to change.

“That mix of emotions reflects something meaningful,” Leeds said. “It speaks to the strength of the community you have built here.”

She noted that what made the Class of 2026 stand out wasn’t just what they achieved, but how they showed up for one another along the way. “You have brought talent, ambition and professionalism, but just as importantly, you have brought generosity, kindness and encouragement,” she said.

After her remarks, Student Bar Association President Alec Bacon took the stage. His speech didn’t try to neatly summarize law school. Instead, it felt like remembering out loud. “When I look back on my time here, I want to focus on the moments and the memories that made this whole thing worthwhile,” he said.

He reflected on long nights, small traditions, friendships and everything in between. “I’ll remember the noise of it all and the quiet moments,” he said.

At its core, his message was simple: those moments matter because of the people in them — and that sense of connection doesn’t end here.

“In the most difficult moments of people’s lives, it’s our duty to step up and create a tiny ripple of hope,” he said.

The rest of the evening moved through faculty recognitions and student awards, with graduates crossing the stage one by one. Each name carried its own story, but together they reflected the shared effort it took to get here.

As the program concluded, many attendees stayed to talk, take photos and spend time together before commencement. With graduation just weeks away, the dinner offered a final opportunity to reflect on the experience and celebrate as a class.

Bacon captured that sentiment in his closing words, “Let’s strive to be remembered as good and decent people who saw wrong and tried to right it.”

Class of 2026 Award Recipients

John S. Armstrong Award (Academic Excellence)

• August M. Butler

The Strouse Prize

• Chase Martins
• Mattias Lederer

Mary M. Schroeder Public Interest Prize

• Hannah Katherine Knight

David Ali Chami Prize for Public Interest

• Kathryn Allee

Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Award (Constitutional Law)

• Sarah Mancuso

John J. Ross Award (Business Law)

• Meghan Nicole Vaughn

Alan A. Matheson Service Award

• Alexander Bacon

International Academy of Trial Lawyers Award

• Sam Phillips

Judge Mary M. Schroeder Federal Practice Award

• Kylie Marie Cochrane

Janet S. Mueller Oral Advocacy Award

• Justice R. Oglesby

Paul Holloway Trial Advocacy Award

• Jacob Daniel Martinez

Liburdi Family Public Policy Award

• Kendall MacGregor

National Association of Women Lawyers Outstanding Graduate Award

• Avery Lynn-Esquivel Hampton

Benson Immigration Public Interest Award

• Maya Elena La Voie Dominguez

American Board of Trial Advocates Bill Jones Trial Advocacy Award

• Elizabeth Sara Kness

Carey Armstrong Prize for Achievement in Public Service

• Aaron Joseph Savoy

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Community Service

• Jonathan Jay Iversen

JD Dean’s Awards

• Hannah Adele Bernier
• Robert C. Corridan
• Lydia Marie Giannini
• Sydney Leigh Glover
• Keyerra Shakece Harfield
• Morgan Nicole Larson
• Bridget Raeanna Mac Donald
• Kaitlyn Elizabeth Scherz
• Ryan J. Silver
• Andrew Simmerman
• Crispin T. South
• Allison Marie Stroud
• Lia Monique Therrien
• Molly Jo Rain Woodward
• Elizabeth Danielle Zipp-Seng

Order of the Barristers

• August M. Butler
• Kylie Marie Cochrane
• Lidia Vianey Diaz Fong
• Maya Elena La Voie Dominguez
• Lauren Marie Gehrmann
• Hunter Mallinger
• Jacob Daniel Martinez
• Timothy J. McCormick
• Justice R. Oglesby
• Sam Phillips
• Simon Croy Trebon
• Molly Jo Rain Woodward

MSLB Awards

Rodney K. Smith Founders Award

• Cameron Johnsen

MSLB Dean’s Awards

• Eden Alexander Greig
• Benjamin Curtis Jackson
• Drew Lecheler
• Jiawei Mao
• Taylor Marie Rooke
• Colin Savage
• Robert Kyle Schuster

ASU Outstanding Graduate Student

• Nikki Fordey