The Gonzaga Law Medal is bestowed annually by the School of Law during Spring Commencement. The award is given to deserving individuals who have distinguished themselves in the service of justice through the practice of law, as a member of the judiciary, in public/private employment, or in legal teaching. The Gonzaga Law Medal was created in 1962in commemoration of the Golden Anniversary of the founding of the School of Law. The Honorable Archibald Cox, Solicitor General of the United States, was the first recipient of the Gonzaga Law Medal. The Law Medal is the school of Law’s highest honor.
2023 Recipient:
Judge Kathleen O'Connor, '75, Retired Spokane County Superior Court
Previous Recipients:
2022 - The Honorable Christine Gregoire, '77, former governor of the State of Washington
2021 - Chief Justice Mike McGrath, '75, Montana Supreme Court Justice
2020 - The Gonzaga Law Medal was not awarded in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019 - Mark DeForrest*, '97, Professor Emeritus Gonzaga Law
2018 - Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson, U. S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington
2017 - The Honorable Richard Guy, ’59, Retired Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court
2016 - Gary C. Randall, Professor Emeritus Gonzaga Law
2015 - Geoffrey Hartje and Emeritus Mark Wilson, Former Gonzaga Law Professors and University Legal Assistance Co-Founders
2014 - Chief Justice Barbara Madsen, ’77, Washington State Supreme Court Justice
2012 - John E. Clute*, ’63, Former Law School Dean
2011 - J . Richard Manning, ’60, Seattle attorney
2010 - Patrick A. Sullivan, ’59, Spokane attorney
2009 - Thomas J. Greenan, ’57, Seattle attorney
2008 - J. Donald Curran, ’60 and Va Lena Scarpelli Curran, ’58, Spokane attorneys
2007 - Norman L. Roberts, ’59, California attorney
2006 - Paul N. Luvera, ’59, Seattle attorney
2005 - Sam Reed, Secretary of State, State of Washington
2002 - Fr. Bernard J. Coughlin, S.J., Chancellor, Gonzaga University
2001 - Barbara C. Clark, Executive Director, Legal Foundation of Washington
1999 - Kathleen Taft, Spokane attorney
1998 - Judy Clarke, Federal Public Defender for Eastern Washington and Idaho
Thomas W. Hillier, II, Public Defender for Western Washington
1997 - Joseph P. Delay, ’52, Spokane attorney
1996 - Morris Dees, Director and Co-Founder, Southern Poverty Law Center, Montgomery, Alabama
1995 - Vern G. Davidson, Professor of Law, Gonzaga Law School
1994 - Harry M. Cross, Professor of Law, University of Washington
1993 - Carl Maxey, ’51, Spokane attorney
1992 - Jack R. Dean, ’50, Spokane attorney
1991 - Thomas L. Shaffer, Professor of Law, Notre Dame
1988 - Vernon R. Pearson, Washington State Supreme Court Justice
1987 - Lewis H. Orland, Associate Dean and Professor of Law, Gonzaga Law School
1986 - Phillip S. Brooke, ’47, Spokane attorney
1985 - Joseph Nappi, ’44, Professor of Law, Gonzaga Law School
1984 - Walter Thomas McGovern, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court
1983 - Leo McGavick, ’29, Tacoma attorney
1982 - James Benjamin McInturff, ’52, Chief Judge, Court of Appeals, Division III
1981 - Charles Horowitz, Washington State Supreme Court Justice (retired)
1980 - Smithmoore P. Myers, ’39, U.S. Magistrate, former Gonzaga Law School Dean
1979 - William H. Williams, ’51, Washington State Supreme Court Justice
1978 - Floyd Hicks, Washington State Supreme Court Justice
1977 - William J. Lindberg, ’27, Federal Judge
1975 - Dr. John T. Noonan, Professor of Law, University of California
1974 - Honorable Richard H. Chambers, Chief Judge, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
1973 - Alfred J. Schweppe, University of Washington Law School Dean
1972 - Honorable Willard Roe, ’40, Superior Court Judge, Spokane
1971 - Thomas Malott, ’34, Spokane attorney
1970 - Honorable William J. Jameson, Federal District Judge, Montana
1969 - Honorable Robert C. Finley, Washington State Supreme Court Justice
1968 - Honorable Charles L. Powell, Federal District Judge, Eastern Washington
1967 - Honorable Frank P. Weaver, Washington State Supreme Court Justice
1966 - Benjamin H. Kizer, Spokane attorney
1965 - Charles P. Moriarty, Seattle attorney
1964 - Honorable Raymond F. Kelly, ’24, Superior Court Judge, Spokane
1963 - Honorable John O’Connell,’42, Attorney General, State of Washington
1962 - Archibald Cox, Solicitor General of the United States
*Awarded posthumously
2021 - Chief Justice Mike McGrath, '75, Montana Supreme Court Justice
2020 - The Gonzaga Law Medal was not awarded in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019 - Mark DeForrest*, '97, Professor Emeritus Gonzaga Law
2018 - Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson, U. S. District Court, Eastern District of Washington
2017 - The Honorable Richard Guy, ’59, Retired Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court
2016 - Gary C. Randall, Professor Emeritus Gonzaga Law
2015 - Geoffrey Hartje and Emeritus Mark Wilson, Former Gonzaga Law Professors and University Legal Assistance Co-Founders
2014 - Chief Justice Barbara Madsen, ’77, Washington State Supreme Court Justice
2012 - John E. Clute*, ’63, Former Law School Dean
2011 - J . Richard Manning, ’60, Seattle attorney
2010 - Patrick A. Sullivan, ’59, Spokane attorney
2009 - Thomas J. Greenan, ’57, Seattle attorney
2008 - J. Donald Curran, ’60 and Va Lena Scarpelli Curran, ’58, Spokane attorneys
2007 - Norman L. Roberts, ’59, California attorney
2006 - Paul N. Luvera, ’59, Seattle attorney
2005 - Sam Reed, Secretary of State, State of Washington
2002 - Fr. Bernard J. Coughlin, S.J., Chancellor, Gonzaga University
2001 - Barbara C. Clark, Executive Director, Legal Foundation of Washington
1999 - Kathleen Taft, Spokane attorney
1998 - Judy Clarke, Federal Public Defender for Eastern Washington and Idaho
Thomas W. Hillier, II, Public Defender for Western Washington
1997 - Joseph P. Delay, ’52, Spokane attorney
1996 - Morris Dees, Director and Co-Founder, Southern Poverty Law Center, Montgomery, Alabama
1995 - Vern G. Davidson, Professor of Law, Gonzaga Law School
1994 - Harry M. Cross, Professor of Law, University of Washington
1993 - Carl Maxey, ’51, Spokane attorney
1992 - Jack R. Dean, ’50, Spokane attorney
1991 - Thomas L. Shaffer, Professor of Law, Notre Dame
1988 - Vernon R. Pearson, Washington State Supreme Court Justice
1987 - Lewis H. Orland, Associate Dean and Professor of Law, Gonzaga Law School
1986 - Phillip S. Brooke, ’47, Spokane attorney
1985 - Joseph Nappi, ’44, Professor of Law, Gonzaga Law School
1984 - Walter Thomas McGovern, Chief Judge, U.S. District Court
1983 - Leo McGavick, ’29, Tacoma attorney
1982 - James Benjamin McInturff, ’52, Chief Judge, Court of Appeals, Division III
1981 - Charles Horowitz, Washington State Supreme Court Justice (retired)
1980 - Smithmoore P. Myers, ’39, U.S. Magistrate, former Gonzaga Law School Dean
1979 - William H. Williams, ’51, Washington State Supreme Court Justice
1978 - Floyd Hicks, Washington State Supreme Court Justice
1977 - William J. Lindberg, ’27, Federal Judge
1975 - Dr. John T. Noonan, Professor of Law, University of California
1974 - Honorable Richard H. Chambers, Chief Judge, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals
1973 - Alfred J. Schweppe, University of Washington Law School Dean
1972 - Honorable Willard Roe, ’40, Superior Court Judge, Spokane
1971 - Thomas Malott, ’34, Spokane attorney
1970 - Honorable William J. Jameson, Federal District Judge, Montana
1969 - Honorable Robert C. Finley, Washington State Supreme Court Justice
1968 - Honorable Charles L. Powell, Federal District Judge, Eastern Washington
1967 - Honorable Frank P. Weaver, Washington State Supreme Court Justice
1966 - Benjamin H. Kizer, Spokane attorney
1965 - Charles P. Moriarty, Seattle attorney
1964 - Honorable Raymond F. Kelly, ’24, Superior Court Judge, Spokane
1963 - Honorable John O’Connell,’42, Attorney General, State of Washington
1962 - Archibald Cox, Solicitor General of the United States
*Awarded posthumously