LEGENDS, LEADERS, & LEGACIES


CELEBRATIONS HIGHLIGHT ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENTS


BY KEITH PIERCE AND ERIKA HARTINGS


In April, two American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL) events honored and celebrated alumni for their extraordinary leadership in and contributions to the field of law. These remarkable alumni careers are marked by several firsts, and their legacies of service and leadership continue to inspire.


Legends & Leaders


More than 125 years since AUWCL became the first law school in the nation founded by women, three pathbreaking women were recognized at the Legends & Leaders Awards Reception on April 14, 2023.


18 THE ADVOCATE SUMMER/FALL 2023


The Honorable Dorothy Beasley ’64 received the Lifetime Philanthropy Award for her generous and meaningful support. Beasley received a scholarship while earning her JD from AUWCL. This inspired her to endow the Stephen and Beatrice Dodd Toth Scholarship Fund, named in honor of her parents, to provide need- based support for women in the top 20 percent of their class. The scholarship is awarded to students committed to public service who earn a B-average or above, with a preference for women.


“I was not a star student,” Judge Beasley said. “I had to work hard, and while top achievers are deserving, diligent students need help, too. There are so, so many people who are doing the same kind of


thing, and to be selected for this honor, I have to regard it as representing all of them, too.“


Beasley was the first woman on the state court of Fulton County and was appointed to the Georgia Court of Appeals in 1984, where she was the first woman and was re-elected during her 15-year tenure. She is retired and serves as an instructor for the Red Cross in international humanitarian law and promotes the use of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s i-Civics Program. Beasley’s endowed scholarship fund continues to help talented women interested in pursuing legal careers that advance justice, equality, and positive change.


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