What It Means to Be Named a Super Lawyers Rising Star
Being named a Super Lawyers Rising Star is an honor given to a small percentage of attorneys who show outstanding legal ability early in their careers. It can’t be bought or applied for; it’s earned through an independent, peer-driven evaluation process.
Who Is Eligible for This Honor
The honor is reserved for attorneys who are 40 or younger, or who have been in practice for 10 years or less. Because it recognizes lawyers who’ve already reached a high level of professional distinction despite their relative youth in the field, only the top 2.5% of eligible attorneys in each state receive it each year.
Why This Honor Matters
Because the honor is based on independent research and peer evaluation (not advertising, self-promotion, or payment); it gives clients a meaningful, third-party signal of an attorney’s skill and standing among their peers. Receiving it reflects recognition from the broader legal community that an attorney has distinguished themselves through the quality of their work, even early in their career.
What It Means to Receive the Witkin Award in Contracts
The Witkin Award for Academic Excellence is an honor given to the law student who earns the highest grade in a course, in this case, Contracts. It’s named after Bernard E. Witkin, one of California’s most influential legal scholars, whose treatises remain a foundational reference for attorneys and judges statewide.
Who Is Eligible for This Honor
The honor goes to just one student out of the entire Contracts class, recognition of top-of-class performance in one of law school’s most demanding courses.
Why This Honor Matters
Because the honor is based purely on academic performance measured against a full class of peers, it reflects precise, sustained excellence in legal analysis from the very start of an attorney’s legal education, a strong foundation in contract law and the rigor that carries into practice.
