Awards/Award Winners

Honoring Achievement

ela excellence2 An important part of our mission is to recognize distinguished accomplishments in the field of education law. This page describes our awards program. Also view comprehensive lists of individual award winners. We welcome nominations and invite ELA members to get involved in committees.

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Beckham Award

Beckham Award Winners

1987 Rosette Liberman

1990 Terrence Leas

1991 Jill Jones White

1992 Anne Browning Masters

1993 James Thomason Jeffers

1994 Julie Fisher Mead

1996 Patricia Todd Bausch

1997 Susan Clark

1998 Douglas R. Pearson

1999 Cheri C. Magill

2000 Theresa B. Harrison

2001 Kerry Brian Melear

2002 Watt Lesley Black, Jr.

2003 Richard Elliott Day

2004 Judith Risch

2005 John LaNear

2006 Rodney Marty

2007 Laurence B. Alexander

2008 Howard J. Eberwein, III

2009 Scott R. Bauries

2011 Janet R. Decker

2012 Erica Salkin

2013 Robert Fitzgerald

2014 Michelle Gough McKeown

2015 Maria Lewis

2016 Marilyn S. Anglade

Goldberg Award

Goldberg Award Winners

2007 Goodwin Liu

2008 James E. Ryan

2009 Benjamin M. Superfine

2010 Kristi L. Bowman

2011 Martha L. Minow

2012 Eloise Pasachoff

2013 Anne Newman

2014 Michael Olivas

2015 Derek W. Black

2016 Kimberly Jenkins Robinson and Perry A. Zirkel

2017 Karen M. Tani

2018 Barbara Fedders

2019 Maryam Ahranjani

Joseph Award

Joseph Award Winners

2008 Kimberly Gee

2009 Lauren S. Foley

2010 Caitlan M. Cullitan

2011 Dylan P. Grady

2012 Calanthe A. Cope-Kasten

2013 Matthew Saleh

2014 Tyler Brewer

2015 Cerin Lindgrensavage

2016 Stephen S. Worthington

2017 Daisha L. Hodges

2018 Sarah Loy

McGhehey Award

McGhehey Award Winners

1985 Roger M. Shaw

1986 E. Edmund Reutter, Jr.

1987 Irving C. Evers

1988 M. Chester Nolte

1989 Walter L. Hetzel

1990 Stephen B. Thomas

1991 Kelly Frels

1992 Martha M. McCarthy

1993 Martha L. Ware

1994 Floyd G. Delon

1995 August W. Steinhilber

1996 Joseph C. Beckham

1997 Nelda Cambron-McCabe

1998 John Lewis

1999 D. Parker Young

2000 Perry Zirkel

2001 Clifford P. Hooker

2002 Charles J. Russo

2003 Jeffrey J. Horner

2004 Ralph D. Mawdsley

2005 Richard J. Dickinson

2006 Philip T.K. Daniel

2007 M. David Alexander

2008 Allan G. Osborne, Jr.

2009 R. Craig Wood

2010 Terrence Leas

2011 David M. Schimmel

2013 P. Tyson Bennett

2014 Richard Fossey

2015 Susan G. Clark

2016 Lois F. Berlin

2017 William E Thro

2018 Patrick D. Pauken

2019 Lynn Rossi Scott

Steinhilber Award

Steinhilber Award Winners

2015 Kevin M. McKenna

2017 Husch Blackwell LLP

2018 Michelle Cooper, Karen Glasser Sharp, Sara Bevins, Curtis T. Hill, Jr., Thomas M. Fisher, Lara Klangeneckert, Julia C. Payne

Steven S. Goldberg Award

Distinguished Scholarship

This award is presented annually in recognition of an outstanding article, book, book chapter, or other form of scholarly legal writing in the field of education law. It must be a work of scholarly excellence that has an impact on education law, published in the past 2 calendar years prior to the deadline, and written by an individual author.

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George Jay Joseph Award

Education Law Writing

The purpose of this competition is to generate increased interest in and recognition of education law among not only graduate students in schools of education but also to students in law schools. The winner is recognized and present at the annual conference and the manuscript will be published in the Journal of Law and Education. The subject matter must address one or more legal issues within any of the various contexts of education, including public and private K-12 schools and institutions of higher education, especially current and emerging issues.

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Joseph C. Beckham Award

Dissertation of the Year

To be considered, a dissertation must have a theoretical base; be conceptually clear and address an important problem or hypothesis; contain a comprehensive and relevant review of applicable literature; demonstrate a methodologically sound approach and present a cogent analysis of data and show significant results and discussion; and, shall be written in scholarly style with appropriate documentation.

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M.A. McGhehey Award

Distinguished Service

This award is presented to individuals with a long history of service to ELA; their work must have had an impact nationally in the field of law and education and their work should be recognized through other national organizations, by briefs filed in high courts or by other significant contributions in the field of education law.

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August Steinhilber Award

Best Brief

This award recognizes outstanding brief writing in the appellate courts in cases of education law. Any ELA member may nominate a brief, but the author(s) need not be a member of ELA Both amicus curiae briefs and party briefs are eligible. Because ELA is a nonpartisan forum, there will be no bias in favor of or against a particular legal position or party. Appellate briefs filed with the court between July 1 of last year and June 30 of the current year are eligible for nomination. The award is granted on the basis of merit as determined by the selection committee.

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