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Graduating JD students (from left to right) Stephen T. Smith, Christine E. Soares, John W. Bolin and Matthew J. Bonness won the 2003 Justin Miller Awards.

Four graduating JD students were named winners of the 2003 Justin Miller Awards at the Duke Law Graduation Gala held May 8 to honor the Class of 2003. The annual awards were presented to John W. Bolin for Citizenship, Matthew J. Bonness for Integrity, Stephen T. Smith for Intellectual Curiosity, and Christine E. Soares for Leadership. Fellow students nominated candidates for the awards, which emphasize the Law School’s commitment to furthering these values in its students and in the legal profession.

Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Jill Miller, a member of the selection committee, said of the awards, "We were overwhelmed by the number of nominations we received -- from JD students in all three classes and from our LLMs. It's a testament to the impact our students' actions have on their classmates, and the sense of community we all care so much about."

For each of the awards, a student who had nominated the winner read excerpts from nominations. Honorees were then presented with personalized crystal gavels. In addition, winners’ names have been added to plaques on permanent display in the Law School next to a portrait of Justin Miller, Duke Law Dean from 1930-34, and a new book in the Law Library collection has been dedicated on behalf of each winner.

The Justin Miller Awards are presented to four graduating Duke Law students each spring. Nominees must be 3L or LLM students. Students from any class may offer nominations, which are accepted from students only. Nominations for the Miller Awards are reviewed by a committee of students, faculty and administrators, and the recipients are announced at the annual Graduation Gala. Following are the criteria for each award:

• Award for Leadership — The recipient is someone who has been especially active in the Law School and/or the greater Durham community, who demonstrates initiative and leads by example. The student takes responsibility for his or her actions and encourages others to do the same.

• Award for Integrity — The recipient is a courageous person with strong principles, a solid character, and a true sense of altruism. Demonstrating an appreciation for honesty and justice, he or she instills these same qualities in others.

• Award for Citizenship — A genuine enthusiasm for the Duke Law School community distinguishes this recipient as someone who brings people together and has a positive attitude. With a spirit of optimism, he or she looks beyond individual differences to find common ground with others and embrace the virtues of Duke Law.

• Award for Intellectual Curiosity — Not necessarily the student with the highest grades or the most academic honors, the recipient is a person who truly enjoys learning. He or she has an intellectual hunger and passion for the law and consistently shares this with and encourages it in others.

Past winners:

2002
Leadership- Marcella A. Harshbarger
Integrity- Carl C. Carl
Citizenship- Corey A. Ciocchetti
Intellectual Curiosity- Daniel J. Foster

“Altruism combined with realism; knowledge of fundamental principles and capacity to apply them; courage to insist on the right and patience to achieve it; understanding of the timidity of the weak; fearlessness of the domination of the powerful; sympathy for the mistakes of the indiscreet; caution of the craftiness of the unprincipled; enthusiasm for that which is fine and inspiring; reverence for that which is sacred; these are some of the attributes of great lawyers.”

-- Justin Miller, Duke Law School Dean, 1930-34