Two Students Named Rosenbloom Award Recipients

Third-year students George Carotenuto and Megan Keenan are this year’s recipients of the University of Virginia School of Law’s Rosenbloom Award.

Given annually, the award was established by Daniel Rosenbloom ’54 to honor students with a strong academic record who have significantly enhanced the academic experience of other law students by volunteering support and assistance.

Carotenuto, of East Hanover, New Jersey, earned a bachelor’s in economics from Duke University. At UVA Law, he has been notes editor of the Virginia Law Review, a fellow in the Program in Law and Public Service and a pro bono clinic team leader for UVA Law’s Innocence Project. Carotenuto also served as a research assistant for Professors Jason Johnston and Michael Gilbert, and is a class agent for the Law School Foundation.

“He makes connections among students and makes sure they are cared for,” said Vice Dean Leslie Kendrick ’06 in nominating Carotenuto. “He goes out of his way to reach out to admitted students and first-years to welcome them into the community. He clearly genuinely loves UVA Law, and wants it and its students to thrive.”

After graduation, Carotenuto will be a litigation associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York, before clerking for U.S. Judge Madeline Arleo of the District of New Jersey.

“I was extremely humbled to hear the way my peers and professors spoke about my contributions to the law school, because I’ve never felt like I was doing anything special — I’m just being the best student and friend that I can be,” he said. “I’ve stood on the shoulders of many great mentors, each of whom has made law school less stressful and more fulfilling; I’ve tried to make others feel that way too.”

Keenan, of Steubenville, Ohio, earned a bachelor’s in political science and government from the Ohio State University. At UVA Law, she has been president of the Public Interest Law Association and Common Law Grounds. She also served on the Virginia Journal of International Law’s Submissions Review Board and competed in the William Minor Lile Moot Court Competition. Keenan is a member of the Appellate Litigation Clinic and the Civil Rights Litigation Pro Bono Clinic, a Law School partnership with the Legal Aid Justice Center’s Civil Rights and Racial Justice Program.

“The energy and enthusiasm for law school that she displayed as a 1L have, if possible, become even stronger in her subsequent time here,” said Professor Ashley Deeks in nominating Keenan. “In the classroom, she has contributed thoughtfully and respectfully to discussions with her classmates, and has shown a genuine commitment to public service.”

After graduation, Keenan will clerk for Chief Judge R. Guy Cole of the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

“The concept behind this award speaks volumes about the culture at Virginia Law,” she said. “I have benefited so much from the selflessness of my mentors and peers in my three years here, and I feel lucky that I've had the chance to pay it forward to those around me.”