The American Bankruptcy Law Journal Prize

The American Bankruptcy Law Journal is pleased to recognize students who have earned the highest grade in a bankruptcy class at any ABA accredited United States law school. The award is known as “The American Bankruptcy Law Journal Prize”.

We are honored to award prizes to every qualified student nominated by a law professor. For the course to qualify as a ‘bankruptcy class,” the primary focus must be bankruptcy, creditors’ rights or debtor-creditor law, bankruptcy reorganization, consumer bankruptcy, LoPucki’s debtor-creditor player’s game, and bankruptcy seminars. If a professor is not sure whether a course qualifies, the professor should contact the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal. More than one course at a school may qualify. However, a student may only receive the award once. Therefore, if the student has won the award in one bankruptcy course and then obtains the highest grade in another qualifying course, the award for the second course will go to the student with the second highest grade.

The award is made upon receipt by the Journal’s Editor-in-Chief of a communication from the professor in charge of a qualifying course that gives the student’s name, mailing address, name of the course and name of the school. In addition to providing the winning students with a certificate of achievement, the Journal periodically publishes the names of the award winners on the website.

Student NameLaw SchoolProfessorYear
Christian BaroneGeorge Washington University School of LawMichael St. Patrick Baxter2026
Simon JaronskiThomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne UniversityJeffrey A. Deller2026
Elysa SchroederLoyola University New Orleans College of LawChunlin Leonhard2026
Mehdi ZahrUniversity of Toledo College of LawCandice L. Kline2026
Ashley TruongUC Davis School of Law (King Hall)John Hunt2026
Seth SudweeksBYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law SchoolBrook E. Gotberg2026
Annie MinerBYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law SchoolBrook E. Gotberg2026
Zoe CrowCampbell University School of LawTim Zinnecker2026
Brian J. BuckleyUniversity of San Diego School of LawMary Jo Wiggins2026
Kristen AiyanyorUniversity of Kansas School of LawStephen J. Ware2026
Gavin SepanikUniversity of Illinois College of LawRobert M. Lawless2026
Ben LordGeorgetown University Law CenterAdam Levitin2026
Kate WiseGeorgetown University Law CenterAdam Levitin2026
Kevin KelseyUniversity of Idaho College of LawJessica McKinlay2026
Ryan KimUniversity of Michigan Law SchoolBelisa Pang2026
Tracey McEvansUniversity of Michigan Law SchoolJohn A. E. Pottow2026
Matthew MagillUniversity of Michigan Law SchoolJohn A. E. Pottow2026
Anna KesselsUniversity of Pittsburgh School of LawJudith Fitzgerald; Beverly Manne2026
Austin EvansTexas A&M University School of LawWayne Barnes2025
Gabriel MurphyUniversity of Georgia School of LawPamela Foohey2025
Cole RectorUniversity of North Carolina School of LawKara Bruce2025
Mary HudsonUniversity of Illinois College of LawRalph E. Brubaker2025
Xincheng ZhengUniversity of Florida Levin College of LawLynn M. LoPucki2025
Rebecca VernailAmerican University Washington College of LawWalter Effross2025
Samuel Edward (Sam) CiaccioMississippi College School of LawDaniel Tavera2025
Lenni EliasThe George Washington University Law SchoolMichael Baxter2025
Ryan McCannThe Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne UniversityHon. Jeffery Deller2025
Benjamin SiegelThe George Washington University Law SchoolMichael Baxter2024
Tristan M. ReaganUniversity of TulsaTerrence Michael2022