The Brian M. Sax Prize for Excellence in Clinical Advocacy was established in memory of the 1969 Law Building alumnus by his family, colleagues, and friends following his death in 1997. It honors Sax’s enthusiasm for the practice of law and his dedication to teaching. The Sax Prize, initially a $500 award, was increased to $1000 in 2006. It is given each spring semester to a graduating student who, during his or her law school career, has displayed excellence in advocacy and professional judgment on behalf of clients in a Berkeley Law in-house or faculty-sponsored clinic. The first prize was given in 1998, and the names of each year’s recipients are inscribed on a plaque located in the lobby of Simon Hall and posted here.
Faculty and students submit nominations to a four-person committee that consists of Ronald G. Aronovsky ’80, one of Sax’s former law partners, along with clinical and non-clinical faculty members selected by the dean. In reaching its decision, the Brian M. Sax Prize Committee considers the applicants’ oral and written advocacy skills, their demonstrated commitment to the zealous representation of their clients, and their reflections on the lawyer’s role within the profession and society.
Jacob Bendicksen ’26 exemplifies the ideals of the Sax Prize. Over four semesters in the Policy Advocacy Clinic, Jacob distinguished himself through an unwavering commitment to justice and to the people at the center of the work. In his first semester, Jacob conducted outstanding research for his Colorado client and pioneered a new area of advocacy for PAC – abolishing prison medical fees. In his second semester, when he wasn’t testifying in the Colorado Legislature on the repeal bill he drafted, Jacob helped launch PAC’s new 1L clinic, providing exceptional mentorship to students working on behalf of a client to defeat harmful criminal justice bills in the California Legislature. In his second year, Jacob incubated a new prison medical fee repeal project in Virginia, building a deep, trust-based relationship with his client who was directly impacted by incarceration. Jacob’s supervisors describe him as an incredibly reflective, people-first advocate. His dedication, professional judgment, and genuine care for vulnerable communities make him a thoroughly deserving recipient of this honor.
Honorable Mention
Kaleb Indra ’26 is an exceptionally deserving recipient of Honorable Mention for the Sax Prize. Over two years with the Policy Advocacy Clinic’s Debt Free Justice California team, he made sustained and consequential contributions to the campaign to eliminate monetary sanctions in the criminal legal system, helping advance landmark legislation (Assembly Bill 1186), which prohibits juvenile courts from ordering young people to pay restitution fines — relieving an estimated $14.8 million in annual financial burden — and eliminates all youth and adult restitution fine debt older than ten years. He also played a critical role in defending against harmful legislation, producing an extraordinary volume of bill analyses, nearly single-handedly drafting key legislative language, and emerging as a central architect of the coalition’s strategy. Equally notable is the humanity Kaleb brought to his work. A system-impacted partner described him as someone who made them feel genuinely seen and valued in spaces that are too often isolating and dehumanizing. His supervisors and peers consistently highlight his rare combination of intellectual rigor and moral clarity, noting that his approach to lawyering sets a standard for what the profession can and should be.