Nearly 600 Law Building alumni, friends, faculty and students gathered for the 2005 Citation Award Dinner on May 6 in a gala evening celebrating two exceptional members of the law school community. Held at The Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, the spectacular event honored the distinguished careers and outstanding achievements of David Andrews ’71 and Professor Jesse Choper.
The Ritz-Carlton ballroom was filled to capacity by friends, colleagues and former classmates spanning the worlds of academia, corporate practice and government service; some guests traveled cross-country to attend. This marked the first time the law school’s annual dinner was sold-out. The event raised nearly $300,000 for the law school.
Andrews, whose career includes service as the top legal adviser to the U.S. State Department and as special negotiator to the Iran/U.S. Claims Tribunal in The Hague, received the Boalt Hall Alumni Association’s highest honor, the Citation Award. Choper, a renowned constitutional law expert and beloved teacher who is celebrating his 40th year on the Boalt faculty, was given the Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award. The audience greeted both honorees with standing ovations.
Multimedia presentations chronicled the impressive careers of the two recipients. These presentations may be viewed online:
- David Andrews: Windows Media (19 MB)
- Jesse Choper: Windows Media (18.4 MB)
In accepting the awards, Andrews and Choper struck a familiar chord as they expressed appreciation for the opportunities that enabled them to pursue rich careers of service. Andrews accepted his award from U.S. District Court Judge Thelton Henderson ’62, the 2000 Citation Award recipient. Choper, the Earl Warren Professor of Public Law and a former Boalt dean from 1982-92, was given his award by Professor Sanford Kadish, also a former dean who now serves as Alexander F. and May T. Morrison Professor of Law, Emeritus.
Created in 1961, the Citation Award recognizes extraordinary achievements by a Boalt graduate who has made substantial contributions to the bar, the bench, legal scholarship and society overall. Two years ago, the Boalt Hall Alumni Association added the Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award to honor the lifelong contributions and accomplishments of an exemplary Boalt faculty member.
Wrapping up the first year of his deanship, Christopher Edley welcomed the gathering and outlined some of the exciting developments taking place at Boalt. The evening also featured remarks from outgoing Boalt Hall Alumni Association president Dana Welch ’87 and incoming president Adam Sachs ’86. Along with the awards tribute, the annual dinner provides members of the law school community with an occasion to socialize and network with friends and classmates.