Writing is an essential skill that lawyers use to communicate, advocate, and persuade. Legal writing is the cornerstone of CWRU’s Legal Writing, Experiential Learning, Advocacy, and Professionalism (“LLEAP”) Program. The LLEAP Awards were established to recognize the hard work and dedication that it takes to produce a top-quality assignment in LLEAP. Students with the top paper in each LLEAP course will receive an award, recognizing them for their exemplary work.
The Raymond R. November LLEAP Award is given to first-year students whose memo and contract were selected as the best papers in LLEAP 1 (first semester of 1L year) and whose summary judgment brief was selected as the best paper in LLEAP 2 (second semester of 1L year). Second-year LLEAP Awards are given to students whose paper was selected as the top paper of the school year in their 2L writing course: LLEAP 3 - Litigation and LLEAP 3 - Transactions. Panels of practitioners and judges selected the winning 2L motion and contract.
We are pleased to announce that current 3Ls Isabel Bielamowicz, Anna Buczek, Ellie Buerk, and Elizaveta Julian will be rewarded for their excellence in student writing within the LLEAP Program. Congratulations to the Class of 2025 LLEAP Award recipients:
- LLEAP 1 - Anna Buczek
- LLEAP 2 - Ellie Buerk
- LLEAP 3 - Litigation - Isabel Bielamowicz
- LLEAP 3 - Transactions - Elizaveta Julian
Jennifer Cupar, who directs the LLEAP Program and teaches LLEAP 1 and 2, is proud of the rigorous training that the students receive in the LLEAP Program, and she appreciates the hard work and dedication that she sees from the students. “The LLEAP Awards honor students who have poured their time, energy, and talent into producing exceptional legal writing. It’s a way to celebrate their hard work and showcase the high standards of our program.” says Cupar.
We would like to extend our thanks to this year’s LLEAP 3 judges: Khouloude Abboud (LAW '20), associate, Taft; Katherine Dobscha (LAW '20), associate Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman & Klestadt LLP; Heide Herrmann (LAW '98), Magistrate Judge, District of Columbia; Christopher Lauer (LAW '20) associate, Manley Brautigam Bankston P.C.; Nathaniel Linger (LAW '20), associate, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP Solomon Oliver, Jr., Senior Judge, Northern District of Ohio; Andrew Rumschlag (LAW '22); associate, Jones Day; and Grace Saalman (LAW '21), associate, Best, Best, and Krieger LLP.
Hermann appreciates the LLEAP Program’s commitment to preparing practice-ready students. “No matter how many legal briefs I receive, I’m always happy to read one that is thoroughly researched and skillfully written. I look forward to reading more briefs like these, and I’m confident that these students are well-prepared for their future practice,” says Herrmann. Abboud was impressed with the quality of the contracts she judged. “Each contract uniquely and impressively demonstrated that the students have a deep understanding and appreciation for contract drafting. It is evident that a solid foundation for contact drafting and negotiation has been laid, and that these students will go on to become excellent transactional attorneys,” says Abboud.
Thanks to the generosity of CWRU School of Law alumnus Raymond Ronald November (ADL '57; LAW '61, '66), the recipients of the first-year LLEAP Awards receive a cash prize. Thanks to the generosity of donors, the recipients of the second-year LLEAP awards also receive a cash prize. LLEAP Award winners receive their awards at graduation where their professors can proudly send them off to continue their outstanding writing in their upcoming legal careers.