Stanford Law School (SLS) students were recognized for their contributions to public interest law and pro bono work, as well as their leadership within the SLS community, during the Spring Community Leadership and Public Interest Awards Reception on May 20. The Office of Student Affairs and the John and Terry Levin Center for Public Service and Public Interest Law annually co-present the awards and reception, held at SLS.
Interim Dean Paul Brest welcomed the attendees and award winners, congratulating the 115 members of the class of 2024 who will graduate with pro bono distinction, meaning they performed at least 50 hours of pro bono work while in law school. In total, the members of the graduating class performed almost 16,000 hours of pro bono service during their time at SLS, Brest said.
“Carrying out a passion for service can only be accomplished with institutional commitment and within an institutional culture,” he said. “These students will support one another as they continue to pursue the commitments to service and public interest that led them to Stanford Law School.”
The reception also celebrated the graduating students who have secured public interest positions after law school and who served as Pro Bono Project leaders, Public Interest Fellows, Public Interest Associates, and Public Interest Mentors.
Leon M. Cain Public Service Award
The Leon M. Cain Community Award honors a highly regarded third-year SLS student who died in an accident in 2018. The annual award goes to one student from each JD class and one student in the advanced degree program for their “outstanding contributions to enhancing the Stanford Law School community.” Students are nominated by other students, faculty, or staff and are selected by a committee of past award recipients, faculty and staff members. Associate Dean of Student Affairs John Dalton presented the awards and Leon Cain’s mother and sister, Henny Naumann-Cain and Kelly Cain, attended the awards ceremony.
With brief comments about each student from the selection committee, the 2024 Leon M. Cain Community Award winners were:
Donya Nassar, JD ’26
“Donya is uniquely qualified for this award because she constantly uplifts and supports those around her, with a focus on building bridges, empowering others, and encouraging others to get involved in the SLS community themselves.”
Salma Abdelrahman, JD ’25
“Salma brings thoughtful and tireless leadership to the student groups she leads at SLS. She does not hesitate to pitch in and to support her peers.”
Stefan Suazo, JD ’24
“Whether through his service as Stanford Law Association President or through his general maintenance of connections between seemingly every person at SLS with every other person at SLS, he has been the glue holding the sociality of the law school together.”
Marie Iwasaki Wako, LLM ’24
“Marie is an exceptional individual whose strong passion for enhancing the Stanford Law School community, and her great coordination and communication skills made a significant difference in our community.”
Lisa Schnitzer Memorial Scholarship
The family and friends of an SLS first-year student who was killed in a car accident in 1987 established the Lisa M. Schnitzer Memorial Scholarship to honor Schnitzer’s commitment to public interest law. The scholarship recognizes one first-year student who will spend the summer working for a public interest/public sector employer, a charitable organization, or another nonprofit organization working in the public interest.
This year’s winner, Ariel Salmon, JD ’26, was introduced by the 2023 scholarship recipient, Mahshad Badii, JD ’25. Salmon has participated in SLS’s Social Security Disability Project, served as an intern with the Stanford Racial Justice Center and will continue her work this summer at the Rebuild Overcome And Rise (ROAR) Center at the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
“Though all of the applications this year demonstrated an incredible commitment to public interest, we on the committee felt that Ariel’s passion quite literally flew off the page,” Badii said. “I know I can speak for everyone when I personally say that I am excited to see the work that Ariel does next.”
“It is such an honor to be recognized for my work so far, and I am beyond grateful to the awards committee and to the Schnitzer family,” Salmon said.
Deborah L. Rhode Public Interest Awards
The Deborah L. Rhode Public Interest Award recognizes three graduating SLS students who have made outstanding contributions to underrepresented groups or public interest causes outside of SLS and/or outstanding public service within the law school. Rhode was the Ernest W. McFarland Professor of Law at SLS and a renowned scholar in legal ethics. She founded and led several research centers at Stanford, including the Center on the Legal Profession, prior to her passing in 2021.
The award selection committee is made up of alumni who are past Rhode Award winners. Anna Wang, associate dean for public service and public interest law, presented the awards.
Ben Clark, JD ’24
Clark is president of the Stanford Environmental Law Journal, co-director of the Workers’ Rights Pro Bono Project, community development chair for Outlaw, and a member of Stanford Law Students for Climate Action.
“It is essential that all of us do all that we can to drive resources and work and power to realize the visions and dreams of self sufficiency in those communities and so many other communities that are left behind,” Clark said.
Relaying comments from the selection committee, Wang said, “Ben’s commitment to both environmental justice and to fostering an inclusive environment at SLS is admirable and has clearly touched many others at SLS.”
Lauren Courtney, JD ’24
Courtney is a co-leader of the Domestic Violence Pro Bono Project, a managing editor of the Stanford Journal of Civil Rights & Civil Liberties, and a community development chair for First-Generation/Low-Income Professionals.
“I love the work that I do, and it really is my passion and my life’s work,” Courtney said. “I am grateful that I have gotten to make a career out of doing work that means that much to me.”
Wang said the committee members found Courtney’s devotion to public interest “shines through in her strong work ethic as she advocates for survivors of violence and guides and supports others in their goals to pursue public interest work.”
Shafeen Pittal, JD ’24
Pittal has been part of SLS’s Religious Liberty Clinic, served as a community organizer with multiple non-profits supporting Muslim student communities, and serves as an editor for the Stanford Law Review.
“This award isn’t about me, but about recognizing the causes, the voices, and the groups and communities that I have had the privilege to advocate for,” Pittal said. “I hope that I can live up to the legacy of Professor Rhode.”
Wang said the selection committee was impressed by Pittal’s “drive to help others” and her ability to “create space for marginalized communities at SLS.”
About the John and Terry Levin Center for Public Service and Public Interest Law
The mission of the John and Terry Levin Center for Public Service and Public Interest Law at Stanford Law School is – through courses, research, pro bono projects, public lectures, academic conferences, funding programs and career development – to make public service a pervasive part of every law student’s experience and ultimately help shape the values that students take into their careers. It also engages in programming and research that support development of the public interest legal community to increase access to justice.
About Stanford Law School
Stanford Law School is one of the nation’s leading institutions for legal scholarship and education. Its alumni are among the most influential decision makers in law, politics, business and high technology. Faculty members argue before the Supreme Court, testify before Congress, produce outstanding legal scholarship and empirical analysis, and contribute regularly to the nation’s press as legal and policy experts. Stanford Law School has established a new model for legal education that provides rigorous interdisciplinary training, hands-on experience, global perspective and focus on public service, spearheading a movement for change.