Third-Year Receives Rosenbloom Award

Third-year student Molly Schiff is this year’s recipient of the University of Virginia School of Law’s Rosenbloom Award.

The award, bestowed annually, 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.

“Molly is one of those students who takes care of those around her,” said Sarah Davies ’91, assistant dean for student affairs. “She is quick to offer to help, and her gentle and kind manner is so valued by everyone she meets.”

Hailing from East Rockaway, New York, Schiff earned a bachelor’s degree in government and Italian studies from Wesleyan University.

Former Student Bar Association President Juhi Desai ’23 called Schiff “a thoughtful and committed student” who pushed classmates to tackle their coursework with vigor and curiosity.

“Her ability to remain humble was key,” Desai said in nominating Schiff. “Someone as academically strong as Molly could have easily shown off, but Molly was always more concerned with genuine learning than she was in propping up any specific reputation or image.”

Section-mate Morgan Kurst ’23 said Schiff fostered a feeling of connection to the Law School community through enriching experiences, such as sharing meals or practicing yoga together.

“To know Molly is to know a friend. … People like Molly are the glue that holds the law school together, and we are all better for knowing her,” Kurst said in her nomination.

At UVA Law, Schiff was senior articles editor of the Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law, treasurer of the Jewish Law Students Association and a participant in the Project for Informed Reform Clinic. She volunteered pro bono with the International Refugee Assistance Project and the National Center for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls.

Schiff said she was drawn to UVA because the school is known for having professors who are dedicated to effective teaching and self-motivated students who also pursue their interests outside the classroom.

She said she is grateful to be recognized by classmates and friends, whom she bonded with during the COVID-19 pandemic their 1L year.

“During 1L finals, we all found ways to work together to prepare ourselves for exams — reviewing practice questions together, talking through our outlines and sharing whatever resources we had,” Schiff said. “I wouldn’t have gotten through it without them, and I’m really glad they thought I contributed to this culture as well.”

After graduation, Schiff will join the firm Milbank in New York.