Law Student Services

Awards & Competitions

John J. Sciullo Peer Excellency Award

The Student Bar Association and the School of Law are pleased to announce the annual John J. Sciullo Peer Excellency Award, which was established to honor Dean Emeritus and Professor John J. Sciullo, who passed away in 2000. This award allows any student in good academic standing at the School of Law to nominate a graduating student for his or her outstanding contributions to the School or for overcoming challenges in obtaining a law degree. The recipient of this award will receive a gift of $500.00.

Although a strong academic record is noteworthy, this award is not based on academic performance alone. Rather, the recipient must demonstrate qualities proving that he or she is worthy of the admiration and respect of fellow students. Below is a suggested list of criteria used in the selection process:

If you would like to nominate a graduate for this award, please submit a brief signed statement no more than 2 pages long to Ella Kwisnek, Assistant Dean for Students, by either dropping off the nomination letter in the CSO or emailing it to kwisnek@duq.edu.

Students are not permitted to nominate themselves. Please note that the quality of an endorsement is more important than the quantity. After this information is gathered, a committee of graduating students, administration, faculty, and staff will select the recipient.

Students wishing to serve on the committee may contact Dean Kwisnek. In the interest of fairness, students may serve only if they have not been nominated for the award and therefore they will be chosen after the nomination deadline has passed. Furthermore, there will be only three to five students on the committee chosen by the School of Law Administration.

Nominations are due in May of each year.  Please look for a notice in your student mailbox for specific information as the deadline approaches. 

Dean Sciullo was an outstanding member of the Duquesne School of Law community. His dear friend Professor Fisfis stated, “John Sciullo was an exceptional person who many of us relied on for wise counsel and sound advice. As any of his former students will tell you, he genuinely loved being a teacher of law. This award is a wonderful tribute to him because it recognizes a law student who possesses the same exemplary qualities.

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