Bruce J. Winick Award for Academic Excellence Recognizes Top Students
Melissa Coates received her Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University before coming to Miami Law. Now a 3L, she is currently participating in the Environmental Justice Project. Coates has worked as a summer associate with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and as a judicial intern with United States District Court Judge Cecilia Altonaga. She will be joining Morgan, Lewis & Bockius after graduation. Brendan Ryan, a 3L, is a Dean’s Fellow and an Articles & Comments Editor for the University of Miami Law Review. Fluent in Spanish, he graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish. He served as a judicial intern for Federal Magistrate Barry Garber and as a summer associate for Hogan Lovells. He will clerk for United States District Court Chief Judge Federico A. Moreno in 2015. Brian Schmelkin is an Articles & Comments Editor for the University of Miami Law Review and a recipient of the Lawrence B. Rodgers—M. Minnette Massey Scholarship. A graduate of Florida International University with a B.B.A. in Finance, Schmelkin, a 3L, served as a judicial intern to United States District Court Judge Marcia Cooke. He is a skilled saxophone player. After graduation he will work in the Miami office of White & Case LLP.
Scott Squires, a 3L, received his M.B.A. from the University of Miami and his B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a member of the varsity men’s golf team. Squires is a member of the University of Miami Law Review and a recipient of the Harvey T. Reid Scholarship. He has worked as a summer associate for both Greenberg Traurig and Stearns Weaver Miller Weissler Alhadeff & Sitterson, P.A. The late Bruce J. Winick
Bruce J. Winick, co-founder of the field of therapeutic jurisprudence, was a beloved teacher at Miami Law from 1974 until his death in 2011. A fervent advocate of social justice, Winick worked extensively in the area of mental health law, studying the effects that the law and legal system had on behaviors, emotions, and on the overall mental health of people. In honor of his life and legal career, Miami Law established a scholarship that recognizes law students whose grades place them in the top one percent of their class at the end of their 1L and 2L years. The following students received the Bruce J. Winick Award for Academic Excellence this year:
Adam Hoock, a Miami Scholar and 2L, is a Dean’s Fellow and a research assistant for Professor Caroline Mala Corbin. He received his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and his M.A. in Spanish Literature from Indiana University. Hoock is a legal intern with Miami Law’s Immigration Clinic and served over the summer as a judicial intern to United States District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez. Prior to attending law school, he worked as an AmeriCorps Volunteer Paralegal for the Americans for Immigrant Justice. Gina Rhodes is a member of both the Entertainment and Sports Law Society and Miami Law Women. The 2L received a B.A. in Criminology and a B.F.A. in Modern Dance Performance from the University of South Florida. This past summer, Rhodes served as an intern for United States District Court Judge Donald L. Graham and for the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office. Lisa Ebenstein, a 2L and a member of the University of Miami Law Review, received her B.A. degree in Economics from Emory University. She worked at Gutter, Chaves, Josepher, Rubin, Forman, Fleisher P.A. this past summer. Amanda Parra is a member of the University of Miami Law Review and a recipient of the Dean’s Merit Scholarship. A 2L, Parra received her B.S. degree in Finance and Marketing from New York University. Proficient in Spanish, she has worked as a research assistant for Professor Marc Fajer. This past summer she worked for the Law Offices of Patrick L. Cordero and is joining Jones Day as a summer associate in 2014. The 2012 – 2013 Winick Scholars included recent Miami Law graduates Jessica Johnson, Jeremy Kahn, Joseph Magrisso, Kamal Sleiman, and Samuel Wardle.
WINICK AWARD
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