On Wednesday, March 27, 2024, Baylor Law presented awards and honors to over 100 law students at the annual John Williams and Florence Dean Minton Student Awards Ceremony and Lecture Series. The event, held for the first time at the Mark & Paula Hurd Welcome Center, recognizes future Baylor Lawyers’ remarkable achievements across academics, advocacy, service, and leadership.
“Our students consistently impress me with their passion and commitment to excellence in all they pursue,” Interim Dean Patricia Wilson noted. “This annual gathering allows us to celebrate their diverse talents and accomplishments. It is always an honor to recognize our many students who have excelled in their academics and community engagement and who have represented us well at dozens of competitions.”
The ceremony’s distinguished guest speaker was Elizabeth “BB” Sanford, JD ’17, a rising legal star and partner at the Sanford Firm in Dallas. Sanford has earned numerous accolades, including being named to the Best Lawyers Under 40 list by D Magazine and securing two Top 100 Jury Verdicts in 2022 and 2023. Beyond her thriving employment and trial law practice, she serves as Vice President of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers and Chair of its charitable Foundation.
During her remarks, Sanford spoke about perseverance and encouraged students to remember the reason that drove them to study law. She related how the words from Winston Churchill’s famous “We Shall Fight on the Beaches” speech in 1940 helped drive her work as a civil rights attorney. Sanford also relayed several personal anecdotes, including how she went from being admitted from the waitlist a week before orientation to finding her place at Baylor Law and eventually winning the Mad Dog competition.
The annual awards ceremony is possible thanks to the generosity of the late Polly Minton McLeRoy, who endowed it in 1993 to honor her parents, John Williams and Florence Dean Minton. Baylor Law also expresses gratitude to the many donors who make these distinctions possible each year through their support.
The ceremony showcased Baylor Law’s culture of excellence, which these exemplary students uphold. To learn more about supporting Baylor Law students, please contact Stephanie Mabry, Director of Development, at stephanie_mabry@baylor.edu.
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