Rising Star Recent Alumni Award

About the Award

USD School of Law and the Law Alumni Association Board of Directors present the Rising Star Recent Alumni Award to alumni who have graduated within the past ten years and have made significant achievements in the legal profession, or chosen field, and demonstrated a high level of community involvement.

Since its inception in 2011, 24 law school alumni have received the Rising Star Recent Alumni Award.

Nominate a USD Law Alumnus/a for the 2023 Rising Star Recent Alumni Award (nominations close April 1, 2023).

Nomination Process

Each spring, the nominating committee of the Law Alumni Association Board of Directors considers candidates for the Distinguished Alumni Award and Rising Star Recent Alumni Award and recipients are selected by the committee and then approved by the Law Alumni Association Board of Directors. In the fall of the same year, the awards are presented at a luncheon honoring the recipients.

For more information, please email the Office of Alumni Relations or call (619) 260-4692.

2022 Award Recipients

Shannon Finley '13 Shannon R. Finley '13 (JD) Shareholder at Pettit Kohn Ingrassia Lutz & Dolin PC
Andy LeGolvan '13 (JD) Andy M. LeGolvan '13 (JD) Senior Vice President of Legal at Polygon Technology

Past Award Recipients

Year Recipient
 2021 Dylan M. Aste, '11 (JD)
Kirsten H. Gallacher, '12 (JD)
2020 Ben J. Coughlan, '12 (JD)
Joy Utomi Hartmann, '11 (JD)
2019 Jamie D. Beck, '11 (JD)
Nicholas J. Fox, '11 (JD)
2018 Francis "Frankie" A. DiGiacco, '09 (JD)
Megan L. Donohue, '09 (JD)
Peter Z. Stockburger, '09 (JD)
2017 Carolina Bravo-Karimi, '08 (JD)
Abigail G. Stephenson, '10 (JD)
2016 Andrew R. Haden, '08 (JD)
Vic A. Merjanian, '10 (JD)
2015 David Fox, '07 (JD)
Kate E. Payerle, '07 (JD)
2014 Buck B. Endemann, '07 (JD)
Scott Martinez, '06 (JD)
2013 Tessie A. Abraham, '07 (JD)
Bibianne U. ("Bibi") Fell, '04 (JD)
2012 Laurie G. Rowen, '04 (JD)
2011 Kristin E. Rizzo, '06 (JD)
Catherine L. Tran, '08 (JD)