SOUTH ROYALTON, Vermont (October 3, 2024)—Vermont Law and Graduate School has announced the recipients of the 2024 Alumni Awards, recognizing their outstanding contributions to the legal field and dedication to community service. The awards were presented during the school’s Reunion Weekend ceremony on Saturday, June 29, 2024.

  • Lindi von Mutius JD’08 was awarded the 2024 VLGSAA Distinguished Alumni Award for her exceptional leadership and service in the legal community. von Mutius is the inaugural director of the Salata Institute Climate Action Accelerator at Harvard University and most recently served as director of the Sustainability and Global Development Practice graduate programs at the Harvard University Division of Continuing Education (DCE).
  • Big Hartman JD’05 was awarded the 2024 Social Justice Mission Scholars Alumni Award, honoring their dedication to advancing social justice causes through impactful legal advocacy. Hartman currently serves as executive director and general counsel at the Vermont Human Rights Commission, a state agency tasked with enforcing Vermont’s anti-discrimination laws.
  • Liz Lucente JD/MSEL’07 was awarded the 2024 Alumni Service Award, in recognition of her significant volunteer contributions and professional achievements. Lucente is Target’s Senior Sustainability Manager – Strategic Partnerships, Corporate Responsibility, transitioning from her work co-leading the utility-scale renewable energy program for the company.
  • Professor Stephanie Willbanks was awarded the 2024 Dean Shirley Jefferson Distinguished Service Award for her extraordinary commitment and service to the law school and its students. Willbanks joined the VLGS faculty in 1981 and has held various positions including associate dean for academic affairs, vice dean for academic affairs, vice dean for administration and student affairs and vice dean for faculty. She is an expert in federal transfer taxation, income taxation, probate, wills and trusts.

These awards celebrate the achievements of alumni and faculty who have demonstrated a commitment to excellence, social justice and service, reflecting the core values of Vermont Law and Graduate School.

For more information about the awards and the recipients, please visit Vermont Law and Graduate School Alumni Awards.

 

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About Vermont Law and Graduate School: Vermont Law and Graduate School, a private, independent institution, is home to a law school that offers ABA-accredited residential and online hybrid JD programs and a graduate school that offers master’s degrees and certificates in multiple disciplines, including programs offered by the Maverick Lloyd School for the Environment, the Center for Justice Reform and other graduate-level programs emphasizing the intersection of environmental justice, social justice and public policy. Both the law and graduate schools strongly feature experiential clinical and field work learning. For more information, visit vermontlaw.edu, Facebook and Instagram.