Friends and family, donors and staff gathered at Sydney Law School’s annual Prize Giving Ceremony to celebrate the achievements of this year’s prize and scholarship recipients.
Brendan 'Japangardi' Kerin, an Arrernte and Barkindji cultural representative from the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, delivered the Welcome to Country and opened the ceremony with a yidaki performance.
Professor Fleur Johns, Dean and Head of School, began by acknowledging the vital contribution of donors in supporting prizes and scholarships, as well as the role of family and friends in supporting the recipients throughout their studies. She commended the students for their achievements, noting the dedication required to balance academic work with work professional, personal and extracurricular commitments.
I want to suggest two things that I would invite this evening’s prize winners to take from and with these accolades: keep learning, and look up.
Professor Fleur Johns
Dean and Head of School
Professor Johns then introduced Sydney Law School alumna Danny Gilbert AM, co-founder and chairman of Gilbert + Tobin, who delivered the evening’s special address. Mr Gilbert congratulated recipients and reflected on the non-linear nature of career paths. He spoke about the rapidly evolving legal profession in the age of artificial intelligence, and the role graduates will play in shaping its future by bringing distinctly human qualities to their work.
The best lawyers of the future will be those who know how to use AI while contributing something that AI may not… wisdom, ethical reasoning, strategic judgment and empathy.
Danny Gilbert AM
Co-founder and chairman, Gilbert + Tobin
Professor Tim Stephens, Associate Dean of External Engagement, presented the prizes and scholarships, congratulating recipients on their academic distinction and reflecting on the broader purpose of such awards.
“Prizes recognise students’ talent, dedication, hard work and tenacity… but they also celebrate the love of learning, the value of acquiring knowledge for knowledge’s sake, and the intellectual rewards that come from thinking deeply,” Professor Stephens said.
The prestigious University Medal in Law was awarded to Mikayla Perry, who delivered the student address. She reflected with warmth and humour on the friendships, teachers and family support that shaped her time at law school.
The defining feature of my law school experience is not what I learned, but the friends I learned it with and the brilliant academics I learned it from.
Mikayla Perry
2025 University Medallist in Law
URL
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Watch the 2026 Prize Giving Ceremony
Robert Benjamin Abadee |
E D Roper Memorial Prize No.1 for Equity and Corporations Law Walter Reid Memorial Prize II Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Matthew Blake Bennett Airey |
Pitt Cobbett Prize for International Law |
Jasmine Aitken |
John Warwick McCluskey Memorial Prize |
Arvin Constantino Ajesta |
Wigram Allen Scholarship for Juris Doctor |
Jacob Alvarez |
Ashurst Prize in Environmental Law |
Grace Amilbangsa |
Longworth Scholarship for the Juris Doctor |
Noa Amiry |
Sir Peter Heydon Prize for the Best Undergraduate Contribution in Constitutional Administrative or International Law Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Caitlin Ammann |
Alan and Jean Lilian Neaves Prize in Federal Constitutional Law Pitt Cobbett Prize for Constitutional Law Walter Reid Memorial Prize II Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Zara-Claire Anthea Azzi |
John Warwick McCluskey Memorial Prize |
Gillian Baez Colon |
Wigram Allen Scholarship for Juris Doctor |
Amber Baillie |
C.A Coghlan and A.N. Littlejohn Scholarship for the Juris Doctor |
Finlay Ball |
Zoe Hall Memorial Scholarship |
Aaron Jon Bantoft |
Gustav and Emma Bondy Postgraduate Prize |
Anthony-James Kanaan Barsoum |
Playfair Prize in Migration Law |
Zoe Batiste |
Ross Waite Parsons Postgraduate Coursework Law Scholarship |
Jana Ariane Behnke |
Ross Waite Parsons Postgraduate Coursework Law Scholarship |
Jaime Louisa Bell |
Alan Bishop Scholarship Kim Santow Law and Social Justice Essay Prize Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Tamsyn Joanne Bellew |
David Levine Prize in Defamation Law Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Ashley Valentine Best |
The George and Matilda Harris Scholarship Prize for the Master of Taxation |
Rori Ella Bettle |
Margaret Ethel Peden Prize in Real Property |
Olivia Bielen |
David Levine Prize in Defamation Law |
David Scott Alexander Blight |
The George and Matilda Harris Scholarship Prize for the Master of Laws |
Phoebe Brown |
John Warwick McCluskey Memorial Prize |
Amelia Caldwell |
The Alan Ayling Prize in Environmental Law |
Stefania Nina Campo |
University of Sydney Foundation Prize for Australian International Taxation |
Kaylyn Chan |
Sybil Morrison Prize for Jurisprudence Part 2 |
Shimeng Chen |
Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Fiona Jillian Chui |
The George and Matilda Harris Scholarship Prize for the Master of Health Law |
Elena Colless Shevchenko |
Climate Justice and Disaster Law - Natural Hazards Research Australia Prize |
Grace Collier |
Ross Waite Parsons Postgraduate Coursework Law Scholarship |
Inmaculada Concepcion Cumbrera Conde |
Walter Reid Scholarship |
Lucy Cook |
The David Burnett Memorial Scholarship in Social Justice |
Jonathan Costello |
The Judge J Perdriau Prize No. 1 |
Genevieve Couvret |
Ivan Roberts Scholarship |
Eliza Genevieve Crossley |
Kevin Dufty Memorial Prize for Real Property and Conveyancing Margaret Ethel Peden Prize in Real Property |
Benjamin Cullen |
George and Matilda Harris Scholarship No IIB for Third Year of Combined Law |
Esther Cummins |
Judge Ralph J Perdriau First Nations Scholarship for the Bachelor of Laws |
Ina Alic Curic |
The David Burnett Memorial Scholarship in Social Justice Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Jonathan Dagher |
Roy Frederick Turner A. M. Scholarship |
Jeremy Davie |
E M Mitchell Prize for Contracts |
Michael Christopher Day |
Edward John Culey Prize for Proficiency in Real Property and Equity |
Marina Dorfman Knijnik |
E D Roper Memorial Prize No.1 for Equity and Corporations Law Zoe Hall Memorial Scholarship |
Yuhang (Michael) Duan |
Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Serene Xin-Vang Duong |
Sybil Morrison Prize for Jurisprudence Part 2 |
Julian Edwards |
Peter Cameron Sydney Oxford Scholarship |
Nikki Eghlimi |
The David Burnett Memorial Scholarship in Social Justice |
Alicia Elliott |
The CA Hardwick Prize in Constitutional Law |
Maya Eswaran |
Ivan Roberts Scholarship |
Charlotte Eloise Cavell Ford |
Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Edward Noel Geoffrey Ford |
Nancy Gordon Smith Prize for Honours at Graduation Walter Reid Memorial Prize II Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Zeraphina Artemisia Vevay Freeman |
Judge Ralph J Perdriau First Nations Scholarship for the Juris Doctor |
Kate Giddy |
Caroline Munro Gibbs Prize for Torts |
Edward Knox Goodman |
Justice Peter Hely Scholarship Zoe Hall Memorial Scholarship Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Anna Goschin |
The David Burnett Memorial Scholarship in Social Justice |
Alyssa Graziano |
Mr Justice Stanley Vere Toose Memorial Prize for Family Law |
Michelle Günther |
The University of Sydney Law School Dean's Scholarship |
Andrea Guzina |
Bruce Panton MacFarlan Prize Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Christopher Joseph Haddad |
John George Dalley Prize No 1B Walter Reid Memorial Prize II Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Charles Andrew Henry |
Edward and Emily McWhinney Prize in International Law |
Benjamin Hines |
Ivan Roberts Scholarship |
Jane Holden |
J H McClemens Memorial Prize No 2 in Criminology |
Lucinda Jane Houston Begg |
Judge Ralph J Perdriau Practical Legal Training Scholarship for Marrickville Legal Centre |
Stephanie Grace Howes |
Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Grace Hu |
David Stuart Hicks Scholarship |
Tao Huang |
Ross Waite Parsons Postgraduate Coursework Law Scholarship |
Sarah Huffman |
Benjafield and McCallum AO Scholarship |
Wera Janssen |
The Marjorie O'Brien Prize |
Ella Jarman-Powis |
E D Roper Memorial Prize No.2 for Equity and Corporations Law |
Laure-Elise Kenworthy |
G W Hyman Memorial Prize in Labour Law |
Daniel Jong-Hyun Kim |
Charles Herbert Currey Memorial Scholarship for LawWithoutWalls Sprint Program |
Josephine Yeon Ju Kim |
Walter Reid Scholarship |
Adriana Maria Kleiss |
The George and Matilda Harris Scholarship Prize for the Master of Environmental Law |
Sarah Elizabeth Knight |
Pitt Cobbett Prize for Administrative Law Walter Reid Memorial Prize II Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Salma Lakehal |
Alan Bishop Scholarship Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Lauren Lancaster |
Sybil Morrison Prize for Jurisprudence Part 2 Walter Reid Memorial Prize II, Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Anson Yifong Lee |
Peter Paterson Prize Walter Reid Memorial Prize II Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Emily Jane Legge |
Wigram Allen Scholarship for Juris Doctor |
Rachael Li |
Ivan Roberts Scholarship |
Olivia Luu |
Walter Ernest Savage Prize for Foundations of Law |
Carina Ma |
Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Mical Jen Wei James Ma |
Walter Ernest Savage Prize for Foundations of Law |
Max Lucy McHugh |
Ivan Roberts Scholarship |
Grace Helen Mcinerney |
J H McClemens Memorial Prize No 1 in Criminology Tuh Fuh and Ruby Lee Memorial Prize in Criminology |
Julia Mcinerney |
The Victoria Gollan Memorial Fund Scholarship |
John Michael Mentzines |
George and Matilda Harris Scholarship No I for Second Year Sir John Peden Memorial Prize for Proficiency in Foundations of Law, Federal Constitutional Law, International Law, and Real Property Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Ella Morgan |
Judge Ralph J Perdriau First Nations Scholarship for the Bachelor of Laws |
Alex Morris |
John Geddes Prize for Equity |
Anton James Nankivell |
Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Kifayat Nasirli |
Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Marcello Kit Neilson |
Sybil Morrison Prize for Jurisprudence Part 2 |
Tahlia Kusum Nesfield |
Walter Reid Memorial Prize II Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Nhat Minh Nguyen |
Walter Ernest Savage Prize for Foundations of Law |
Isobel Nomchong |
Judge Ralph J Perdriau Practical Legal Training Scholarship for Redfern Legal Centre |
Jamie Max O'Sullivan |
Andrew M Clayton Memorial Prize - Clayton Utz George and Matilda Harris Scholarship No IIA Margaret Ethel Peden Prize in Real Property Monahan Prize for Evidence Walter Reid Memorial Prize II Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Dhruv Parashar |
Ross Waite Parsons Postgraduate Coursework Law Scholarship |
Mayling Paton |
Edward John Culey Prize for Proficiency in Real Property and Equity |
Murphy Pietranski |
MillerPrince Prize in Advanced Corporate Law Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Eleanor Pike |
The George and Matilda Harris Scholarship Prize for the Master of International Law |
Brittney Potvin |
The David Burnett Memorial Scholarship in Social Justice |
James Landon Price |
Law Press Asia Prize for Chinese Legal Studies No 1 Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Ya Si Quek |
Ross Waite Parsons Postgraduate Coursework Law Scholarship |
Alisa Rao |
Charles Herbert Currey Memorial Scholarship for LawWithoutWalls Sprint Program |
Aceda Rose |
Longworth Scholarship for the Juris Doctor |
Willem Jaxon Kassirer Rosenberg |
Wigram Allen Scholarship for Juris Doctor |
Charlotte Grace Ross |
Paul Byrne SC Memorial Prize for Advanced Criminal Law Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Jarryd Samuel Rubinstein |
The George and Matilda Harris Scholarship Prize for the Master of Business Law |
Daisy Ryan |
Walter Ernest Savage Prize for Foundations of Law |
Jun Ha Ryu |
John O'Brien Memorial Coursework Scholarships in Criminal Law and Criminology |
Sarah Jane Saltmarsh |
Walter Reid Memorial Prize II Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Thomas Seddon |
Margaret Dalrymple Hay Prize for Law Lawyers and Justice |
Rocio Seoane |
King and Wood Mallesons Prize in Banking and Financial Instruments |
Alice Shan |
Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Hannah Rose Hadfield Shaw |
Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Kyle Sheldrick |
Walter Reid Memorial Prize II Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Byeol Esther Shim |
The University of Sydney Law School Dean's Scholarship |
Rowan Silcock |
Walter Reid Memorial Prize II Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Paulina Sili |
The Victoria Gollan Memorial Fund Scholarship |
Grace Simpson |
Eric Cunstance Shaw Scholarship |
Theresa Anne Sims |
Ian Joye Prize in Law The George and Matilda Harris Scholarship Prize for the Juris Doctor Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Benjamín Sims Nogueira |
Gustav and Emma Bondy Postgraduate Prize |
Joshua William Snoeck Smith |
Nancy Gordon Smith Prize for Honours at Graduation |
Benjamin Smith |
The George and Matilda Harris Scholarship Prize for the Master of Taxation |
Gabrielle Stricker-Phelps |
Ivan Roberts Scholarship |
Nishika Talusani |
Roy Frederick Turner Scholarship |
Peter James Taurian |
John George Dalley Prize No 1A Nancy Gordon Smith Prize for Honours at Graduation Thomas P Flattery Prize for Roman Law Walter Reid Memorial Prize II Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Ding Jun Toh |
WA Cooke, Jane Cooke and Alfred Godfrey Scholarship |
Monet Trevisan |
Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Goranka Trifkovic |
Walter Reid Memorial Prize II Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Theodore Tsolakis |
Benjafield and McCallum AO Scholarship |
Jose Luigi Turco |
Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Danielle Kim Tweedale |
Alan Bishop Scholarship |
Aren Ung |
Charles Herbert Currey Memorial Scholarship for LawWithoutWalls Sprint Program |
Maria Camila Valdes Gonzalez |
Walter Reid Memorial Prize II Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Marian Shania May Desuyonia Vargas |
C.A Coghlan and A.N. Littlejohn Scholarship for the Juris Doctor |
Maya Vasic |
Nancy Gordon Smith Prize for Honours at Graduation Sir Dudley Williams Prize |
Akshita Verma |
Ashurst Prize in Australian Income Tax |
Mari Eira Watkins |
J H McClemens Memorial Prize No 1 in Criminology Tuh Fuh and Ruby Lee Memorial Prize in Criminology |
Kevin Wei |
ANJeL Akira Kawamura Prize in Japanese Law |
John Wu |
Aaron Levine Prize for Criminal Law |
Edward Chak Yik Wu |
Keith Steele Memorial Prize |
Louise Xu |
Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Wenyue Yao |
The George and Matilda Harris Scholarship Prize for the Master of Administrative Law and Policy Judge Samuel Redshaw Prize for Administrative Law |
Emily Yuen |
The David Burnett Memorial Scholarship in Social Justice |
Wentong Zhou |
The Tomonari Akaha Memorial Prize |
Jason Zhu He |
Dean's List of Excellence for Academic Performance |
Priyanshi |
Walter Reid Scholarship |
UNIVERSITY MEDALLIST IN LAW
Mikayla Perry |
Ivan Roberts Scholarship, the Joye Prize in Law Nancy Gordon Smith Prize for Honours at Graduation R G Henderson Memorial Prize (NSW Bar Association) Rose Scott Prize for Proficiency at Graduation by a Woman Candidate
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Download the 2026 Prize Giving Ceremony program (pdf, 2.7MB)
View the professional photos taken on the evening on Sydney Law School's Facebook page.
Photographer on the evening: Renee Nowytarger.