Believing that the best measures of the quality of a law school are the achievements of its graduates, UDSL has watched with pride as graduates Mary Kate Huffman, Thomas P. Whelley II, and Lori Shaw achieved success and recognition in their law careers. It has also taken pride in its relationship with John Kessler and Jack Davis, legal professionals who matriculated elsewhere, but have made a significant impact on their profession and the School of Law.
These five members of the UDSL community were honored with special awards over Alumni Weekend in May.
Three of the awards, the Distinguished Alumni Award, the Honorable Walter H. Rice Honorary Alumni Award, and the Francis J. Conte Special Service Award, were handed out at a Friday luncheon held in the Schuster Center’s Mathile Theatre. About 130 members of the UDSL community were on hand to celebrate the recipients.
The first award of the afternoon was presented to John Kessler, the presiding judge for the General Division of the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court and UDSL adjunct faculty member since 1991. Kessler received the Honorable Walter H. Rice Honorary Alumni Award, which is presented annually to an individual who is not a graduate of the University of Dayton School of Law, but who represents the ideals of the School through exemplary achievement. The award recognizes significant contributions to the legal profession, the community and the School of Law.
Judge Rice was on hand to present the award (and give Kessler some ribbing). Upon accepting it Kessler joked that “Judge Rice has been a good friend – a mentor. Anything I can get with his name on it, including his checkbook, is good for me.” He also credited Rice for his adjunct position at UDSL, explaining that Rice asked him to fill in as a substitute years ago. After 16 years in the classroom at the School of Law, Kessler said that “the quality of students continues to be at the highest level.”
Alumni Association President Steve Yuhas and Dean Lisa Kloppenberg presented the Distinguished Alumni Award to Mary Kate Huffman. The award is presented annually to University of Dayton School of Law graduates who reflect the School’s values of professional integrity and community service through achievements of exceptional merit, honor and influence. Huffman also is a judge for the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas. An active member of the School of Law Alumni Association, Huffman graduated from UDSL in 1990.
As she accepted her award Huffman thanked several of her mentors, including Kessler, saying, “I am proud to have called Jack my friend long before I called him my colleague.” She also expressed pride in being a part of UDSL, a school she defined as having a strong commitment to Marianist values and pro bono work. On her teaching career she reflected that “I have gotten so much more [from the experience] than the students possibly have.”
The final honor of the afternoon, the Francis J. Conte Special Service Award, was awarded posthumously to the late G. Jack Davis, Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge. Davis’ daughter Trisha Duff accepted on behalf of their family, describing her father as a gentleman and a professional. A law professional herself, Duff said that “he taught me do things right the first time, for when would I have time to go back and do them again? He also taught me to be kind to the people I meet, because they are fighting a hard battle.”
On the following evening, during an alumni dinner that included reunion celebrations and an attendance of 170, two more Francis J. Conte Special Service Awards were handed out as (almost) surprises.
Adjunct Professor and alumnus Thomas P. Whelley II, ’77, was the first recipient. When he accepted the award he thanked his classmates - many of whom were in attendance for their 30th class reunion – and reminisced about their days as students in the single law classroom housed in the basement of Roesch Library. Whelley garnered some laughs from the crowd when he revealed that he had found out about the award prior to that evening when Dean Kloppenberg accidentally mentioned it in a letter. Nevertheless he shared his gratitude to the School of Law saying, “We have a wonderful Dean and a great future. If it wasn’t for this law school I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
The School of Law also honored Dean of Students and alumna Lori Shaw ‘87, who was surprised by the award, noting with amusement that her office is located next to the other deans, yet the honor managed to stay a secret. She gave special thanks to UDSL graduates for their support of current students, saying, “UD grads always say yes!”
Nominate candidates for next year’s awards online.