University of Virginia School of Law alumni Scott Migliori ’12, Daniel Richardson ’18 and U.S. Judge Jamar Walker ’11 recently received Lambda Law Alliance’s Alvarez-Coughlin Award to honor their contributions to the LGBTQ community.
The award, named after its first honorees, Professor Anne Coughlin and Law School Foundation President and CEO Luis Alvarez Jr. ’88, is given to those who have displayed “extraordinary efforts” on behalf of the LGBTQ community by “creating an open, supportive and welcoming environment for diversity” at the Law School, the University as a whole and beyond. The awards were presented April 5 at a reception at the Ivy Inn Restaurant in Charlottesville.
This was the first time the award has been presented since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Migliori was the 2020-21 honoree, Richardson was the 2021-22 honoree and Walker was the 2022-23 honoree.
Lambda Law Alliance, a UVA Law student organization aimed at supporting members of sexual minorities and their allies, created the award to honor recipients’ past actions and service, as well as to act as a call to continue such support.
“At a time when the future of LGBTQ+ rights is so uncertain, it is moments like these that remind me of the resilience and kindness of our community,” said Lambda President Reilly Swennes ’25. “Each of our honorees fully embody these qualities, and I am grateful for the opportunity to celebrate their outstanding achievements.”
Migliori, who works in private practice at The Migliori Law Firm in Florida, was the first openly transgender student at the Law School.
Richardson, an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell, earned the Faculty Award for Academic Excellence for graduating with the highest GPA in the Class of 2018, served as the editor-in-chief of the Virginia Law Review and clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.
Walker serves as a U.S. District judge for the Eastern District of Virginia and is the first openly LGBTQ federal judge in state history.
“It was an honor to hear remarks from three of our incredible alums,” said former Lambda President James R. Hornsby ’24. “This was the first time that we have been able to gather in person with our alumni since COVID-19, and it was inspiring to hear how far our UVA Law queer community has come in such a short amount of time.”
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.
