The Appalachian School of Law proudly recognized outstanding students, faculty, and staff during the 2026 Awards Banquet held on April 9.
From academic excellence and advocacy achievements to community service and leadership, this year’s honorees represent the very best of ASL.
We would like to thank the Southern Gap Outdoor Adventure of the Breaks Interstate Park for the lovely venue and catering.
Please congratulate the following award recipients for their time and dedication.
Employee Dates of Service -5 Years
Phillip “Bucky” Blevins
C. Zyeda Cole
Joseph Villeneuve
Sutin Soul of ASL Award
Lindsey Musick
Blackwell Heart of ASL Award
1L: Kylie Harrison
2L: Bob Zohirov
3L: Abigail Walker Lawrence
Dales Heart of ASL Award
1L: Riley Petrosky
2L: Jeree Davis
3L: Aakrista Rupakheti
The Willard Owens Award For Excellence in Community Service Class of 2026
Raneka Williams
Sam Weddington Little Red Wagon Award
Raneka Williams
Dean’s List – Spring 2025
3L Class of 2025
Eva Aloezos
Carrie Bell
Megan Chumbley
Melanie Hicks
Emma Huenefeld
Erica Mandi
Joshua Marant
Benjamin McKelvey
Ashley Minix
Abigail Patterson
Jose Quintana
Jennifer Reese
2L Class of 2026
Carla Cook
Sana Fadah
MacKenzie Haley
Carol Keene
Julia LaGrone
Abigail Lawrence
Julia Lott-Khan
Lindsey Musick
Bryce Pearson
Brandon Phillips
Adran Smith
1L Class of 2027
Sydney Anthony
Harry Austin III
Jeree Davis
Ally Goedecke
Travis Honaker
Andrew Mackey
Samuel Sandler
Le Solomon
Jeffrey Watkins
Dean’s List – Fall 2025
Class of 2026
Curtis Darnell III
Sana Fadah
MacKenzie Haley
Julia LaGrone
Julia Lott-Kahn
Lindsey Musick
Brandon Phillips
Aakrista Rupakheti
Adran Smith
Cody Tackett
Brooklyn Whitaker
Olivia Woosley
Class of 2027
Sydney Anthony
Harry Austin III
Virginia Bryington
Kyla Bunch
Clay Clark
Jeree Davis
Ally Goedecke
Travis Honaker
Daniel Huff
Sydney Middleton Kimberlain
John Pulizzi
Samuel Sandler
Class of 2026 – December Graduates
Eva Aloezos
Jesse Davis
Erica Mandi
Three Semester Dean’s List
Eva Aloezos
Carla Cook
MacKenzie Haley
Julia LaGrone
Julia Lott-Khan
Lindsey Musick
Brandon Phillips
*Students who rank in the top 25 percent of their class are recognized for their excellent academic performance and named to the Appalachian School of Law Dean’s List.
Moot Court Executive Board
Arnando Smith, President & Chairman
Christopher Sharpe,Vice-President & Chairman
Angela Diaz, Event Coordinator
Abigail Lawrence, Communications Chair
Iyana Vhanè, Judicial Liaison
2025 Intraschool Moot Court Competition
1st Place – Travis Honaker
2nd Place – Virginia Bryington and Laura Schein
Finalists – Gabrielle Boyles, Sana Fadah, and Diego Karns
2025 Jeffrey G. Miller National Environmental Law Moot Court Competition (NELMCC)
Aakrista Rupakheti and Abigail Lawrence
Student Coach: Jeree Davis
Child Welfare Law Moot Court Competition
Laura Schein, Sana Fadah, and Tilanijha Dawson
West Virginia University Energy and Sustainability Moot Court Competition
Team #1 – Gabrielle Boyles and Virginia Bryington
Team #2 – Sydney Anthony and Ally Goedecke
Burton D. Wechsler First Amendment Moot Court Competition
Arnando Smith, Travis Honaker, and Daniel Huff
Clara Barton IHL Competition
Julia Lott-Khan, Christopher Sharpe, and Sehjal Kaur
Bob Zohirov, Alternate
Student Coach: Indira Kalbaj and Aakrista Rupakheti
ABA Client Counseling Competiton
Raneka Williams, Lindsey Musick, and Angela Diaz
George Mason University Scalia Law School 2026 Trial Advocacy Competition
Brooklynn Whitaker, Julia LaGrone, and Kyla Bunch
Book Awards – Spring 2025
Advanced Legal Research (Lowell) – Olivia Woosley
Bar Essays (Hurley) – Eva Aloezos*
Bar Subject Review II (Hurley) – Hunter Phillips*
Business Associations (Condon) – Roberto Mejia
Civil Procedure (Figueiras) – Sydney Middleton Kimberlain
Constitutional Law II (Western) – Sana Fadah
Contract Drafting (Heidt) – Julia LaGrone
Dispute Resolution (Jones) – Mark Steedley
Family Law Practice (Burgess) – Jhosdye Valentin Palomino*
History of Race & the Law (Young) – Arnando Smith
Immigration Law and Policy (Figueiras) – Aakrista Rupakheti
Introduction to ASL Legal Studies (Hurley) – Sabrina Aljamal
Legal Process II (Comer) – Harry Austin III
Legal Writing with a Purpose II (Figueiras) – Erica Mandi*
Natural Resource Law & Policy (Belleville) – Emma Huenefeld*
Negotiations & Arbitration (Blevins) – Julia LaGrone
Professional Responsibility (Scott) – Brandon Phillips
Property II (Heidt) – Harry Austin III
Real Estate Transactions (Judge Hurley) – Aakrista Rupakheti
Remedies (Condon) – Eva Aloezos*
Sentencing (Young) – Bryce Pearson
Trial Advocacy (Scott) – Melanie Hicks*
Tribal Law (Cole) – Caitlen Myers*
Virginia Civil Procedure and Practice (Wilson) – Megan Chumbley*
Virtual Curency (Oxford) – Carrie Bell*
Water Law (Oxford) – Lindsey Musick
Wills & Estates (Oxford) – Emma Huenefeld*
**Book Awards – Summer 2025
First Intersession
Insurance Law (Scott) – Joseph Pullen, Jr.
Prosecution Project (Gallagher) – Iyana Vhanè
Poverty, Health & Law: MLP (Cole) – Raneka Williams
Juvenile Practice (Campbell) – Allainah Easterling
Second Intersession
Social Security Disability (Hurley) – Roberto Mejia
Administrative Law (James) – Sydney Middleton Kimberlain
Third Intersession
Law Office Management (Condon) – Adran Smith
**Book Awards – Fall 2025
Appellate Advocacy – (Heidt) – Virginia Bryington
Bar Subject Review (Wilson/Oxford) – Eva Aloezos*
Civil Procedure (Figueiras) – John Michael Rowe
Constitutional Law I (Belleville) – Ally Goedecke
Contracts & Sales I (Belleville) – John Michael Rowe
Criminal Practice (Scott) – Sana Fadah
Criminal Procedure (Gallagher) – Sydney Anthony
Employment Discrimination Law (Figueiras) – MacKenzie Haley
Estate Planning (Oxford) – Olivia Woosley
Evidence (Scott) – Samuel Sandler
Family Law (Burgess) – Samuel Sandler
History of Race and the Law (Young) – Aakrista Rupakheti
Information Privacy Law (Condon) – Lindsey Musick
Intentional Torts (Wilson) – Canaan Thacker
Intro to ASL Legal Studies (Hurley/Bazzle) – Tatumn Damron
Jury Selection (Stephens) – Julia LaGrone
Legal Process I (Comer) – Emily Gearheart
Legal Process II (Burgess) – Kota Graziano
MBE: Strategies & Skills (Hurley/Bazzle) – Brandon Phillips
Negotiations in Criminal Justice System (Jones) – Julia LaGrone
Post-Conviction Relief (Young) – Raneka Williams
Pretrial Practice (Oxford) – Julia LaGrone
Property I (Heidt) – Madison Baker
Secured Transactions/UCC (Condon) – Brandon Phillips
Virginia Drafting (Judge Hurley) – Joseph Trull
Wildlife Law (Cole) – Julia Lott-Khan
*Denotes Book Award winners who have already graduated.
**The Book Awards are presented to the student in each academic class who earns the highest grade. Congratulations to the students who have achieved this honor.
Student Bar Association
Officers
President – Joseph Pullen, Jr.
Vice-President – Aakrista Rupakheti
Treasurer – Gregory (Troy) Gasque
Secretary – Hylee Francois
Parliamentarian – Abigail Lawrence
Chief of Staff – Adran Smith
Senators
Allainah Easterling (3L)
Arnando Smith (3L)
Raneka Williams (3L)
Sydney Anthony (2L)
Zachary Coleman (2L)
Madison Wallace (2L)
Naidaly Gonzalez Miranda (1L)
Joseph Willingham (1L)
Riley Petroski (1L)
Honor Court
Chief Justice – Lindsey Musick
Deputy Chief Justice – Elaina Amy
Associate Justice (2L) – Sehjal Kaur
Associate Justice (2L) – Shaila Ahmed
Associate Justice (1L) – Kylie Harrison
Associate Justice (1L) – Ethan Gibson
SBA Committees
American Bar Association Student Rep –Julia LaGrone
Career Services Advisory Committee – Arnando Smith
Charitable Endeavors – Raneka Williams
Fiscal Policy Committee – Gregory (Troy) Gasque
Legacy Committee – Raneka Williams
New Organization Review Committee – Aakrista Rupakheti
Pharmacy School Outreach – Gregory (Troy) Gasque and Raneka Williams
Property Manager – Gregory (Troy) Gasque
Chief of Staff/ Student Activities Council – Adran Smith
Virginia State Bar Student Rep. – Joseph Pullen, Jr.
Mental Health Committee – Abigail Lawrence
President’s Council – Joseph Pullen, Jr.
ASL Ambassadors
2L Class
Tilanijha Dawson
Virginia Bryington
Grace Thompson
Zachary Coleman
Jordan Kirby
Jeffrey Watkins
3L Class
Abigail Lawrence
Arnando Smith
Raneka Williams
Appalachian Journal of Law
Editor-in-Chief – Olivia Woosley
Executive Editor – Katherine Climaco
Publication Editor – Sana Fadah
Senior Articles Editor & Symposium Editor – Abigail Lawrence
Online Development Editor – Roberto Mejia
Senior Notes and Comments Editor – Hailey Thomas
Managing Editor – Aakrista Rupakheti
Senior Editors
Lindsey Musick
Julia Lott-Khan
Associate Editors
Grayson Rockwell
Nicandro Iannacone
Alex Moscatello
Daniel Huff
Jesse Davis
Le Solomon
Samuel Sandler
MacKenzie Haley
Administrative Staff
1L Staff of the Year – Patty Street
2L Staff of the Year – Patty Street
3L Staff of the Year – Kenny Keen
Faculty
1L Professor of the Year – Laura E. Wilson
2L Professor of the Year – Mark “Buzz” Belleville
3L Professor of the Year – Dawn Figueiras
