STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Tabitha Pitzer ’26 Named National Jurist Law Student of the Year
The first-generation AUWCL student reflects on the power of community, the importance of public service, and why the law should always lead with humanity
Tabitha Pitzer ’26 was recently honored with the Law Student of the Year award by National Jurist magazine.
“When I first heard the news that I was awarded Law Student of the Year by National Jurist magazine, I was floored. I was humbled. I cried a little bit. I'm just immensely grateful for this recognition,” Pitzer said, attributing the honor to what she feels are “just continuous small acts of kindness.”
She chose AU Law for its record of producing public servants and its compassionate student body. “I had heard that the students here were incredibly kind and compassionate, and I knew that this would be a great fit for me,” she said.
As a first-generation law student and a first-generation American, Pitzer views the law as a vital tool for social progress.
“I see law as a tool to help keep that door open. It’s essentially a doorstop,” Pitzer said. “So, when we pass legislation, when progress is made, and that door gets pushed just a little bit wider, there’s the legal doorstop to keep it open, and the lawyers serve as the protectors of that doorstop.”
That commitment led her to serve as president of Advance, a peer-to-peer mentorship society supporting first-generation law students at AUWCL.
Pitzer’s experience at AUWCL has been shaped by both rigorous academic training and profound personal
20 THE ADVOCATE FALL 2026 Tabitha Pitzer ’26
“ I had heard that the students here were incredibly kind and compassionate, and I knew that this would be a great fit for me.” — Tabitha Pitzer
connections. She credits her time in the Community Economic and Equity Development Clinic as one of the best experiences of her life, providing her with invaluable one-on- one client counseling skills.
Despite the “intense struggles” of her 1L year, she found lifelong friends in her peers who showed up for her when life didn’t stop for law school. This sense of community has reinforced her belief that while lawyers are oſten depicted as merely “tough,” there is immense room for humanity and compassion within the legal field.
Pitzer remains open to the vast opportunities a law degree provides, though her heart remains firmly rooted in public service. — By Brice Helms
Watch the Video
tinyurl.com/Pitzer-Spotlight
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