James A. Connelly ’19 Memorial Award

The James A. Connelly ’19 Memorial Award fund was established to honor the life of alumnus James Connelly and create a continuing legacy at the School of Law in his memory. During his time at King Hall, James was an Executive Editor of the UC Davis Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Honors Board, where he was voted "Member of the Year" by his peers. James served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Consuelo M. Callahan of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and received the best brief writer award in Appellate Advocacy I. Shortly after graduating with a Juris Doctorate degree, he was diagnosed with AML leukemia. James was admitted to practice law in California in December 2019 and was an associate attorney at Neumiller & Beardslee, all while undergoing chemotherapy treatments and a stem cell transplant, until his passing on November 30, 2020. The James A. Connelly ’19 Memorial Award fund will support a current student with an award, such as for best brief in Appellate Advocacy I. It is the goal for this fund to reach a level where the award can be endowed and given in perpetuity.