The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law (Catholic Law) celebrated five distinguished alumni on Saturday, September 21, 2024, during its Distinguished Alumni Awards and Class Dinner. The Law School honored these exceptional graduates with one of four prestigious accolades: the Distinguished Public Service Award, the Distinguished Recent Alumni Award, the Distinguished Alumni Award, and the William Callyhan Robinson Alumni Award.

The Distinguished Public Service Award recognizes an alumnus or alumna who has demonstrated outstanding public service throughout their career. The 2024 honoree of this award was the Honorable Coral Wong Pietsch ’74.

The Distinguished Recent Alumni Award is bestowed upon a graduate who completed their studies at Catholic Law within the past fifteen years and has shown a strong commitment to enhancing the legal profession through intellect, integrity, leadership, and a sense of responsibility. The 2024 recipient of this award was Patrick Burke ’19.

 

The Columbus School of Law Distinguished Alumni Award honors alumni who have pursued extraordinary careers marked by a commitment to improving the legal profession while remaining loyal to Catholic Law through active alumni engagement and philanthropic support. The 2024 recipients of this accolade were John E. McCarthy Jr. '89 (L) and Jim Moye ’99 (R).

The William Callyhan Robinson Alumni Award, named after the first dean of the Catholic University of America Law School, celebrates an alumnus or alumna who graduated forty or more years ago and whose career exemplifies integrity that reflects well on Catholic Law and its community. The 2024 recipient of this award was Jame McDonald '69. Prior to announcing the award there was a video tribute to McDonald, which can be seen below.