2026 Alumni Award Winners
Charles S. Murphy Award for Achievement in Civic Service
Jamila Hodge JD’01
The committee was especially struck by the steadfast commitment Jamila Hodge JD’01 has demonstrated in advancing the common good throughout every stage of her career. From her service as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Columbia to her leadership in national policy reform, Jamila has consistently worked to build a more just and equitable system.
Over twelve years at the U.S. Department of Justice, Jamila prosecuted cases while also dedicating herself to community-based prevention and intervention efforts. She later helped shape national criminal justice policy in the Office of Legal Policy and served as an advisor on criminal justice and drug policy in the Office of then–Vice President Joe Biden. At the Vera Institute of Justice, she founded the Reshaping Prosecution Program, partnering with prosecutors and community organizations nationwide to implement reforms aimed at ending mass incarceration and reducing racial disparities, including through the Motion for Justice initiative, which centered racial equity in prosecutorial practice.
Most recently, Jamila served as Chief Executive Officer of Equal Justice USA, where she led the organization’s expansion into a national force advancing safety beyond policing, mass incarceration, and executions. In early 2025, when federal violence prevention grants were abruptly revoked and EJUSA lost a significant portion of its funding, Jamila faced the difficult decision to wind down the organization’s operations. Nominators described being deeply moved by the values-driven way she led during that moment—acting with transparency, dignity, and an unwavering commitment to mission even in its final chapter.
Jamila’s dedication to service also extends to Duke Law. As a keynote speaker for the Law School’s Public Interest Retreat, she inspired students with her humility, generosity, and willingness to share her personal journey. Jamila’s career exemplifies the spirit of the Charles S. Murphy Award: sustained public service, moral clarity, and an enduring dedication to strengthening communities. It is a privilege to recognize her extraordinary contributions to civic life with this year’s award.
A. Kenneth Pye Award for Excellence in Education
Thomas Metzloff
Professor Metzloff was selected as this year’s recipient of the A. Kenneth Pye Award for Excellence in Education for a career that reflects the very qualities that defined Dean Pye’s legacy: intellectual rigor, institutional leadership, and a deep, personal commitment to students.
For more than four decades, Professor Metzloff has shaped generations of Duke Law students through his teaching of Civil Procedure, Complex Litigation, ethics, and dispute resolution—courses that demand both analytical precision and a nuanced understanding of the human dimensions of the law. His innovative Voices of American Law project further exemplifies his commitment to rigorous and creative pedagogy, bringing constitutional cases to life through in-depth interviews and documentary storytelling that are now used in classrooms across the country and around the world.
Beyond the classroom, Professor Metzloff has strengthened the Law School and the broader university through sustained leadership and service. As Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, he helped guide Duke Law’s academic program, and oversaw the complete renovation and additions to the Law School including Star Commons. In 2017, he also served as Duke University’s faculty ombuds, applying his expertise in dispute resolution to ensure that colleagues navigating complex concerns were heard with fairness and respect.
Yet what resonates most strongly in the nominations is Professor Metzloff’s extraordinary dedication to individual students. Former students describe his mentorship as steady, thoughtful, and deeply personal. He supported one student’s decision to pursue what others considered a “crazy” path—applying exclusively for clerkships in Alaska—and continued to champion the Alaska Law Review and its unique student experience through strengthened ties with the Alaska Bar and in-person symposia. Alumni note that he remains a constant presence in their professional lives, never failing to respond to an email or make time for a visit, even years after graduation.
Through his scholarship, leadership, and unwavering commitment to his students and colleagues, Professor Metzloff embodies the integrity, compassion, and devotion to educational excellence that defined Dean Pye’s life and work. We are proud to recognize him with the A. Kenneth Pye Award for Excellence in Education.
Charles S. Rhyne Award for Professional Achievement
Prentiss Feagles JD’76
Few careers reflect the sustained excellence and principled leadership honored by the Charles S. Rhyne Award more clearly than that of Prentiss Feagles JD’76.
For more than twenty-five years, Prentiss has been a nationally recognized authority in the taxation of real estate investment trusts and partnerships, advising many of the largest REITs and public real estate companies in the country. His work has spanned some of the most significant IPOs, mergers, joint ventures, and going-private transactions in the real estate sector. In 2024, he was recognized with the NAREIT Industry Achievement Award, honoring more than a quarter-century of contributions to the REIT industry. Known for offering practical solutions rather than simply identifying obstacles, Prentiss approaches complex transactions as a collaborative partner, helping clients navigate intricate regulatory and financial landscapes with clarity and precision.
His professional impact extends beyond client representation. As Global Chief Financial Officer of Hogan Lovells and a long-standing senior advisor to firm leadership, Prentiss played an instrumental role in the 2010 transatlantic merger of Hogan & Hartson and Lovells—the largest law firm merger in the world at the time. He continues to serve in a senior management capacity, helping guide the firm’s strategic direction and growth. These leadership roles require not only technical mastery, but judgment, steadiness, and a deep understanding of institutional responsibility.
Nominators describe Prentiss as one of the top tax lawyers in the country for decades and an extraordinary ambassador for Duke Law. The most senior Duke Law graduate among the many alumni at Hogan Lovells, he has long modeled professionalism and integrity for those who followed in his footsteps. Prentiss has been an active Duke Law volunteer throughout his professional career, including serving on the Law School Reunion Committee five times over the past twenty-five years. In addition, he and his wife, fellow Duke Law graduate Gail Winter Feagles JD’76, established a Duke Law scholarship together in gratitude for the financial support that made Prentiss’s own education possible.
Throughout his career, Prentiss Feagles has exemplified the highest standards of professional excellence, personal integrity, and service that define the Charles S. Rhyne Award. We are pleased to recognize his remarkable achievements with this year’s award.
International Alumni Award
Jieni Gu JD’06
Jieni Gu JD’06 has built a distinguished cross-border legal career that exemplifies the global excellence and integrity recognized by the International Alumni Award.
An International Partner in the Shanghai office of Haiwen & Partners and a member of the firm’s Hiring Committee, Jieni is widely respected for her leadership in complex, multijurisdictional mergers and acquisitions, cross-border investments, and private equity transactions. She regularly advises multinational corporations, leading Chinese enterprises, and global private equity funds on high-stakes transactional and regulatory matters across a broad range of industries.
Before joining Haiwen, Jieni was a partner in the M&A group at Ropes & Gray. Earlier in her career, she practiced at Sullivan & Cromwell in both New York and Beijing, building a strong foundation in global transactional practice. Her excellence has earned significant industry recognition, including being named one of ALB China’s Top 15 Female Lawyers and receiving the 2024 Lawyer of the Year award for Corporate M&A from The Legal 500.
Beyond her professional achievements, Jieni has remained deeply engaged with Duke Law and its international community. Since graduating in 2006, she has mentored Chinese students and young alumni, hosted alumni gatherings in Shanghai, supported Duke Law’s Annual Fund and clinical programs, and engaged with Duke Kunshan University students. When Dean Abrams visited Asia in 2024, Jieni traveled from Shanghai to Hong Kong to attend the Duke Law reception and connect with fellow alumni and school leadership. Her sustained involvement reflects both pride in her alma mater and a commitment to strengthening Duke Law’s global network.
Through her professional leadership and her continued service to the Duke Law community, Jieni Gu embodies the highest standards of excellence, integrity, and concern for the common welfare in her profession and home country. We are delighted to honor her with this year’s International Alumni Award.
Young Alumni Award
Brianna McRae JD’16
Since graduating in 2016, Brianna McRae JD’16 has combined a successful legal career with sustained leadership and service to the Duke Law community.
Brianna currently serves as Director, Assistant General Counsel at Barings, a global asset management firm headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Since graduating from Duke Law, she has built a strong career in the asset management industry, spending nearly a decade advising clients at leading global law firms before transitioning in-house. Her practice focuses on the structuring, offering, and operation of private investment funds, drawing on experience across the full lifecycle of private investment vehicles.
Her commitment to Duke Law is evident in both the breadth and depth of her volunteer leadership. Brianna has served on the Duke Law Charlotte Regional Board and multiple Reunion Committees, and most recently served as Chair of the Duke Law Alumnae Leadership Council. During her tenure, she advocated for structural changes to strengthen the council’s continuity and long-term impact. Even after completing her term as chair, she continued to mentor incoming leaders.
Brianna’s leadership extends beyond formal roles. In the Charlotte region, she has helped organize and host alumni programming that brings together graduates across practice areas and career stages, strengthening Duke Law’s presence in one of its most vibrant alumni communities. She has also supported mentoring initiatives connecting students and alumni.
Brianna’s service is matched by a strong commitment to philanthropy. A loyal supporter of the Law School Annual Fund for more than a decade, she is a member of the University’s Washington Duke Society and the Law School’s Barristers Donor Society. Her giving reflects a belief in the power of alumni support to sustain Duke Law’s mission.
Beyond Duke, Brianna served from 2022 to 2025 as Board Chair of Bright Blessings, a Charlotte-area nonprofit supporting children and families experiencing homelessness and poverty. Her dedication to service reflects a consistent commitment to building stronger communities.
Outstanding Volunteer Service Award
Anne Harper JD’91, LLM’91
Anne Harper JD’91, LLM’91 has distinguished herself through years of exceptional and sustained volunteer leadership in service to Duke Law School and the broader University community.
Anne is a public radio producer and host of State of the Bay, a weekly live program on NPR-affiliate KALW in San Francisco covering news, culture, and civic life across the Bay Area. Prior to transitioning to public media, she practiced law for fifteen years, most recently as a litigator with Earthjustice, where she focused on Clean Air Act enforcement. Her professional path reflects a longstanding commitment to civic engagement and environmental stewardship.
That same spirit defines her volunteer leadership. Anne has generously opened her home in Marin County and her restaurant, Wayfare Tavern in San Francisco, to host Duke and Duke Law alumni gatherings—creating welcoming spaces where graduates reconnect, build community, and strengthen their ties to the Law School.
Anne’s formal service has been equally impactful. She has served on her Law School Reunion Committee multiple times, is a current member of the Law School Board of Visitors, and previously served on the Law Alumnae Leadership Council. At the University level, she has contributed to Duke’s climate and sustainability priorities through her work on the Campaign Advocates Board: Climate and the University’s Climate Commitment Task Force, which helped shape the institution’s strategic approach to environmental initiatives. Beyond Duke, Anne currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, further reflecting her dedication to environmental leadership and public service.
Colleagues describe Anne as an engaged partner who shows up consistently—on campus, in planning conversations, and in moments when leadership seeks trusted counsel. Whether mentoring students, supporting Law School initiatives, or convening alumni in meaningful ways, Anne strengthens Duke Law through both vision and personal generosity.
For her extraordinary dedication and sustained commitment to the Duke Law community, we are honored to present Anne Harper with this year’s Outstanding Volunteer Service Award.
Dean's Achievement Award
James D. Smith JD’86
The Dean’s Alumni Achievement Award is being conferred posthumously in honor of James D. Smith JD’86. His relationship with Duke Law School was defined by gratitude, intellectual rigor, and an unwavering commitment to strengthening the institution that helped shape his life.
A proud member of the Class of 1986, James went on to an extraordinary career in intellectual property law. From patent litigation and a clerkship on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to leadership roles at Dewey Ballantine, Nokia, Baxter International, the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and Ecolab, he distinguished himself as a lawyer of uncommon depth and curiosity, bringing both technical mastery and a principled commitment to fairness and equity.
Yet for all his professional accomplishments, James remained deeply devoted to Duke Law. He served with distinction on the Law Alumni Association Board of Directors and later on the Law School Board of Visitors, offering thoughtful counsel and steadfast support. His engagement was marked by wisdom, generosity, and a deep love for the institution.
James’s generosity to Duke Law was both consistent and intentional. A decades-long supporter of the Annual Fund and the Professor Jerome M. Culp Scholarship Fund, he gave in recognition of the scholarship that made his own legal education possible. Speaking at the 2023 Scholarship Brunch, James reflected on his classmates: “First, they scared me with the force of their minds. Then, they inspired me with their work ethic. And they won my heart with their civility, caring and companionship, all of which still endure.” His words reflected a lifelong gratitude—and a commitment to ensuring those same opportunities for others.
Those who knew James often remarked on his remarkable facility with language and his joy in human connection. He approached conversations with care and precision, and he viewed every person with a Duke affiliation as a “presumptive friend.” That instinct—optimistic, generous, and rooted in community—reveals more about James than any résumé ever could.
James’s service, commitment, and dedication to Duke Law leave a lasting imprint on our community. His legacy lives on in the students he supported, the colleagues he inspired, and the community he cared for so deeply.