Four University of Virginia School of Law students have been awarded Mary Claiborne and Roy H. Ritter Prizes.

The program recognizes members of the third-year class who best exemplify the qualities of honor, character and integrity envisioned by Thomas Jefferson when he founded the University of Virginia. Each recipient — whose selection is based on nominations from students, faculty, staff and alumni — receives a tuition award.

The Class of 2017 recipients are Kierstin Fowler, Casey T.S. Jonas, Charis Redmond and Gannam Rifkah.

Fowler is active in the Student Bar Association and served as its Diversity Committee co-chair; she also served as the Black Law Students Association vice president and social chair during the 2015-16 academic year.

An articles editor for Virginia Law Review, Jonas was vice president of Virginia Law Women during the 2015-16 academic year and will serve as the group's president this year.

Redmond was elected vice chair of the National Black Law Students Association in March. She was also president of the UVA Law BLSA chapter last year.

Rifkah volunteers in the Law School's Admissions Office as a student ambassador, and was this past academic year's firm relations and alumni chair for Lambda Law Alliance

“The Ritter Scholars are members of the Law School community who actively seek to improve the lives of others. We are lucky to have students who strive to make a difference in their world, and these students are incredible assets to our community," said Assistant Dean for Student Affairs Sarah Davies. "We are very pleased to see their contributions honored by this award.”

The Ritter Scholars program was established in 1983 by C. Willis Ritter, a member of the Law School’s Class of 1965, in memory of his parents, Mary Claiborne and Roy H. Ritter. His mother was one of the first women admitted to the practice of law in Virginia. 

Ritter also created the program in appreciation for his time at UVA Law and to encourage discussion about what honor, character and integrity mean.
 
Past Ritter Scholars

Founded in 1819, the University of Virginia School of Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the nation. Consistently ranked among the top law schools, Virginia is a world-renowned training ground for distinguished lawyers and public servants, instilling in them a commitment to leadership, integrity and community service.