The School of Law honored four women for their service during the school’s virtual Alumni/Alumnae Week, which gave law school graduates an opportunity to “visit” their alma mater from the comfort and safety of their homes.
During the weeklong series of events, Valerie Caproni, B. Lynn Chastain and Santhia L. Curtis received the Law School Association’s highest honor – the Distinguished Service Scroll Award – for their outstanding dedication and service to the legal profession and the law school. Additionally, Catherine T. “Katie” McMahon was presented with the Young Alumni/Alumnae of Excellence Award.
Caproni, a 1979 summa cum laude School of Law graduate, is a U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York. Prior to becoming a judge, she held a variety of positions in the private and public sectors. She was recognized via a virtual celebration by Associate Dean and Professor Emeritus Paul M. Kurtz.
A 1984 graduate of the law school, Chastain recently retired from her post as senior vice president and general counsel of Chick-fil-A, which she also served as secretary for its Board of Directors. She worked for the company for 29 years and was the first female to serve on its executive committee. Chastain was recognized at the online luncheon event by her daughter, Dr. Taylor Chastain.
Curtis graduated from the School of Law in 1991. In 2014, she began working with family offices to manage diversified investment portfolios and holdings for domestic and international opportunities. Additionally, she has been a member of the Law School Association Council for more than one decade and was president of the LSA in 2012. She was honored by Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold D. Melton (J.D.’91).
Additionally, McMahon, a 2011 graduate of the law school, is currently a civil litigation attorney in Washington, D.C. She has held several positions in service to our country such as installation staff judge advocate general, trial counsel and victim’s legal counsel. McMahon was recognized by Texys Morris Wheelock (J.D.’11), who is a division leader with the Jefferson County Public Defender’s Office in Alabama.
