Class of 2025 students honored

A number of Harvard Law students from the Class of 2025 will be recognized for their contributions during the Class Day ceremony on May 28, honored for their outstanding leadership, citizenship, compassion, and dedication to their studies and the profession.

Yvonne L. Smith Award

Jheri’ Richards ’25 received the Yvonne L. Smith Award, which was created in honor of the longtime and much-loved administrator of the Board of Student Advisers (BSA), Yvonne Smith, whom decades of students sought out for wisdom and guidance. The award recognizes a graduating student who demonstrated an exemplary dedication to supporting other students while at Harvard Law School. 

Selected for her exceptional leadership, skilled mentorship, and commitment to building community, Richards was president of the BSA, a student-led support organization of more than 40 second- and third-year students who mentor and guide first-year students and serve as teaching assistants for the First Year Legal Research & Writing Program. The BSA also administers the Ames Moot Court Competition and the first-year Ames Moot Court program.

Ralph D. Gants Access to Justice Award

Tashrima Hossain ’25 is the recipient of the 2025 Ralph D. Gants Access to Justice Award. Hossain is celebrated for her outstanding accomplishments as a member of the Housing Law Clinic of the WilmerHale Legal Services Center, where she spent four semesters advocating for survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence in the clinic’s Housing Justice for Survivors Project. Hossain’s diligent efforts to secure housing solutions on individual and systemic levels have made her a model of client-centered advocacy and thoughtful leadership.

The award commemorates the legacy of the late Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants ’80, who was a champion of social justice advocacy. This recognition is given to a student who demonstrates commitment to improving access to justice and leadership in working to remove systemic barriers that prevent equal justice for all.

David A. Grossman Exemplary Clinical Student Award

Eric Zhao ’25 is the recipient of the 2025 David A. Grossman Exemplary Clinical Student Award. The award honors David Grossman ’88, the late clinical professor and faculty director of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau who devoted his life to the pursuit of justice.

Zhao is celebrated for his outstanding contributions across four multidisciplinary clinics: the Emmett Environmental Law and Policy Clinic, the Food Law and Policy Clinic, the Housing Law Clinic, and the International Human Rights Clinic. In his pursuit to become an environmental justice advocate, Zhao leveraged the clinical curriculum to assemble a comprehensive toolkit preparing him for the work ahead.

Andrew L. Kaufman Pro Bono Service Award

Alexia Roberts ’25 is the recipient of the 2025 Andrew L. Kaufman Pro Bono Award. Contributing over 3,000 pro bono hours during her time in law school, Roberts has exemplified effective client-centered service, empathetic leadership, and a commitment to the pursuit of justice.

The Andrew L. Kaufman Pro Bono Award is granted each year in honor of Professor Andrew Kaufman ’54, who spearheaded the creation of the Pro Bono Program at Harvard Law School. The award is given to a J.D. student in the graduating class who exemplifies the pro bono public spirit and an extraordinary commitment to improving and delivering high quality volunteer legal services to disadvantaged communities.

William J. Stuntz Memorial Award for Justice, Human Dignity, and Compassion

Sukhmani Kaur ’25 was named the winner of the 2025 William J. Stuntz Memorial Award for Justice, Human Dignity, and Compassion. The Stuntz Award recognizes a graduating student who has demonstrated an exemplary commitment to those principles while at Harvard Law School.

The Frank S. Righeimer Jr. Prize for Student Citizenship

Sean Wynn ’25 has been awarded the 2025 Righeimer Prize, an honor that celebrates a graduating student in recognition of exceptional citizenship within the Harvard Law School community. 

Wynn said being nominated for the award by his peers and members of the faculty and staff was both an honor and an affirmation. “It was a reminder to always do good by people,” he said, “and that you are always going to be more rewarded and be in a better position when you lead from the front and when you are of service to others.”

The David Westfall Memorial Award

Katie Angel ’25 is this year’s winner of the David Westfall Memorial Award, presented annually to a graduating student to recognize contributions to creating community within the first-year section and class. Classmates have praised her skills as a mentor and community builder, and the empathy she’s shown in getting first-year students through the rougher patches. 

Kristen P. Muniz Memorial Award

Abigail Hinchman ’25 is the recipient of the 2025 Kristin P. Muniz Memorial Award. She is recognized for her unwavering commitment to justice, deep sense of compassion, and exemplary client representation.

The annual Kristin P. Muniz Memorial Award honors the memory of former Harvard Law School Criminal Justice Institute (CJI) senior clinical instructor Kristin P. Muniz, whose passing in 2020 deeply affected the CJI community, her students, and clinical program colleagues.

Dean’s Award for Community Leadership

This year, ten students were honored with the Dean’s Award for Community Leadership, which recognize graduates who contribute time and energy to making the Harvard Law School community a better place through involvement in student organizations and journals, community service groups, clinics, and through individual efforts. This year’s recipients are:

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