The School of Law honored four graduates for their service during an Awards Dinner at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia earlier this year.

I. Kenneth “Ken” Dious, Thomas J. “Tom” Harrold Jr. and Lisa Godbey Wood 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, Ellen R. Clarke was presented with the Young Alumni/Alumnae of Excellence Award.

Dious, a 1973 School of Law graduate, was one of the first African Americans to practice law in Northeast Georgia. A U.S. Army veteran, Dious opened an Athens law office in 1974 as a solo practitioner, and he has provided legal services to area citizens for approximately five decades. He is the author of Rules, Rights & Responsibilities in Georgia Schools. 

Dious has been recognized by a host of organizations for his contributions. Among them are Georgia Legal Services and the State Bar of Georgia Pro Bono Project, the NAACP and the A. Philip Randolph Institute. Dious is also the recipient of the John T. Hurley Distinguished Service Award. Frails and Wilson Senior Partner Randolph “Randy” Frails (J.D.’97) presented Dious his award.

A 1969 graduate of the law school, Harrold leads Miller & Martin’s International/World Law Group practice. He has for many years worked with European and Asian companies investing in the Southeastern United States and with American companies that have been expanding around the globe. He previously served as the deputy commissioner of the Georgia Department of Revenue, and he has been instrumental in navigating significant pro-economic legislation through the Georgia General Assembly. 

He is a founder of the World Law Group, an international legal network with 60-plus member firms with offices in 92 countries. In 2009, he was awarded the Cross of Merit of Germany by President Horst Köhler. He is presently a member of the law school’s Board of Visitors. Georgia Attorney General Christopher M. “Chris” Carr (J.D.’99) presented Harrold’s award.

Since 2007, Wood – a 1990 graduate – has served as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. From 2010 to 2017, she was chief judge. After graduating law school, she was a judicial clerk for Judge Anthony A. Alaimo of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia before joining – and becoming a partner at – the Brunswick law firm Gilbert, Harrell, Sumerford and Martin. 

From 2004 to 2007, Wood was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Last year, she was appointed to serve on the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review. Wood is currently a member of the School of Law’s Board of Visitors. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stanley “Stan” Baker (J.D.’04) presented Wood her award.

Notably, Wood also received another university award this year – the 2023 Blue Key Service Award, which was presented in November at the annual UGA Tucker Dorsey Blue Key Alumni Banquet.

Clarke, a 2014 alumna, serves as security counsel at Google, where she advises on global data security and law enforcement issues. She has deep subject matter expertise in U.S. and European data disclosure law, digital evidence and law enforcement relations. She is licensed as an attorney in Georgia and Washington, D.C., as a registered in-house counsel in California and as a solicitor in England and Wales. 

Before joining Google, she was a trial attorney in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, which she joined through the Attorney General’s Honors Program. Clarke previously served as a judicial clerk for Judge Richard W. “Rick” Story (J.D.’78) of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. She currently teaches as an adjunct professor at UGA Law. Baker Donelson Shareholder Hannah Jarrells Sage (J.D.’15) presented Clarke’s award.

This spring, the School of Law honored graduates (l. to r.) Ellen Clarke (J.D.’14), Tom Harrold (J.D.’69), Ken Dious (J.D.’73), and Lisa Godbey Wood (J.D.’90) for their service to the legal profession and the law school. Photo by Justin Evans.