2024: THE 44th ANNUAL PATRICIA ROBERTS HARRIS AWARDS BANQUET
EVENT DATE
The 2024 Annual Patricia Roberts Harris Dinner Gala was held on
April 6, 2024
Our Theme: A Dreamer's Paradise
Our event's theme this year is “A Dreamer's Paradise." Our goal is to reflect what this community has become for our students: a place where they can dream and work towards their aspirations without any restraints. This takes different forms: students having dire circumstances or backgrounds, being a minority, or simply aiming for a life that seems out of reach. Coming to The George Washington University Law School and being surrounded by of our Black alumni community is a paradise and a legacy that our graduates will contribute to.
We continue to honor Mrs. Harris’s legacy and indulge in the support of our sponsors, students, BLSA alumni, law school faculty, and staff. ​It is due to everyone in our community that we have the platform and ability to use our gifts, reach for the impossible, and challenge ourselves.
The theme, "A Dreamer’s Paradise," expresses the idea that not only are we our ancestors’ wildest dreams, but because of the work and sacrifices of this community, we can fulfill our own. This year's PRH acknowledges the legacy of phenomenal forerunners that has become a springboard for our graduating class. This paradise is filled with innovation, grit, and compassion that only exists because of the people in this room. We celebrate our graduating class for beautifully contributing to this paradise. We extend a special thanks to our Keynote Speaker, John Lewis, Jr., who has exemplified the beauty of reaching for your dreams and being a catalyst for others to reach theirs.
Thank you to our diligent committee members for their efforts and our generous sponsors for their contribution to this event. We hope that you all enjoyed this beautiful moment in paradise.
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Yours in Service,
Denisha Philistin and Theori Henry
Chairs of the 44th PRH Awards Banquet
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OUR SPONSORS
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Silver Sponsors
Axinn
Crowell & Moring
Perkins Coie
Weil Gotshal
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Gold Sponsors
WilmerHale
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​Platnium Sponsors
Dentons
Goulston & Storrs
Shook Hardy and Bacon
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Cleary Gottlieb
Covington
Eversheds Sutherland
Finnegan
Hausfeld
Husch Blackwell
Jones Day
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Jones Day
Kirkland & Ellis
McGuireWoods
Morgan, Lewis
Morrison Foerster
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
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Bronze Sponsors
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Polsinelli
Ropes & Gray
Thompson Coburn
Venable
Vinson & Elkins
Wiley
Willkie Farr & Gallagher
KEYNOTE SPEAKER & HONOREES
Keynote Speaker
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John has a distinguished background as a board and C-suite advisor, strategist, and problem-solver. Before joining Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP, he spent over a decade in leadership roles at The Coca-Cola Company, including as global head of litigation, where he managed enterprise disputes and led the company’s first governance litigation. He also played a critical role in the DOJ/SEC investigation of Coca-Cola’s public filings and led its largest potential litigation exposure, a securities class action spanning four continents. As Coca-Cola’s first Global Anti-Bribery Counsel, John ensured compliance with anti-corruption laws worldwide, conducting audits and investigations across multiple regions. He later served as the company’s Global Chief Diversity Officer, responsible for workplace fairness and diversity initiatives. At Shook, John focuses on fiduciary matters and investigations, and has also served as a Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee and is currently a federal equity receiver in a $300 million cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme case.
John Lewis, Jr.
Honorees
The Herbert Henderson Advocacy & Social Justice Award
Precious Thompson
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The Dean Alfreda Robinson Oral Advocacy Award
Stephon Howie
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The Jeanette Ann Michael Alumnus of the Year Award
Jendi Samai
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Faculty Member(s) of the Year Award
Dean Keri McCoy
Emerald Chauncey
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Staff Member(s) of the Year Award
Bobby Wallis
April Henderson
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The Williams & McCartney Outstanding BLSA Member of the Year Award
Jaylah Richie
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Executive Board Member of the Year Award
Theori Henry
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The Patricia Roberts Harris Award
Amaiya Johnson
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A Mesage From the 2023-2024 BLSA President
PRH is always one of my favorite BLSA events each year as we celebrate our graduating 3L class. As you’ve heard many times tonight, this year’s theme is a Dreamer’s Paradise. For so many Black law students here, law school was our wildest dream growing up or in college, but as we look around, we are all here living out that exact dream. The resilience of graduating 3Ls is truly admirable, as law school is not an easy feat, but each and every one of them has worked diligently to make it to the finish line.
As a 2L, it has been an honor to be mentored by the 3L class, and I am excited to see all the good you do in the world after law school. I want to thank every one of you who attended PRH this year, and I would like to give a special thank you to the committee and the 2023-24 executive board. If you take one thing away from this incredible event tonight, let it be that we, as Black law students and attorneys, are powerful and can accomplish anything we set our minds to. Serving as the 2023-24 GW BLSA President has been my pleasure.
Yours in Service,
Jasmine Williams