About EPIA
The Excellence in Public Interest Awards (EPIA) honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the public interest law field. TLF honors individuals in five groups: students, professors, staff, public interest attorneys, and private attorneys.
2025 Nominations
TLF will seek nominations for all five categories: students, professors, UT staff members, public interest attorneys, and private attorneys in the Spring.
Past Recipients
2024 EPIA Recipients
Maria Aftab Kari
Araceli Garcia
2023 EPIA Recipients
2022 EPIA Recipients
Jeff Edwards
Nicole Simmons
Emily Guzman Surfing
2021 EPIA Recipients
Emily Eby
STAFF
Sarah Sedgwick
2021 STUDENT
Anna Harris
2019 EPIA Recipients
PUBLIC INTEREST ATTORNEY
Ashley Steele
PRIVATE ATTORNEY
Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch
FACULTY
Thea Posel
STAFF
Sarah Sedgwick
STUDENT
Patrick Marcus
2018 EPIA Recipients
PUBLIC INTEREST ATTORNEY
Susanne Pringle
PRIVATE ATTORNEY
Brian Zubay
FACULTY/Staff
Beth Navarro
STUDENT
Jessica Cisneros
2017 EPIA Recipients
PUBLIC INTEREST ATTORNEY
Trudy Strassburger
PRIVATE ATTORNEY
Becky Beaver
FACULTY
Raoul Schonemann
STUDENT
Lochlin Rosen and Cristian Sanchez
2016 EPIA Recipients
PUBLIC INTEREST ATTORNEY
Claire Marie Bow
PRIVATE ATTORNEY
Chris Perri and Paul Quinzi
FACULTY
Chris Roberts
STUDENT
Bryan Zubay
2015 EPIA Recipients
PUBLIC INTEREST ATTORNEY
Betty Balli Torres
PRIVATE ATTORNEY
Christine Wood, Jack Carnegie, and John Hagan
FACULTY
Ranjana Natarajan
STUDENT
Nora Gay
2014 EPIA Recipients
PUBLIC INTEREST ATTORNEY
Brian McGiverin
PRIVATE ATTORNEY
Pete Schenkkan
FACULTY
Heather K. Way
STUDENT
Kali Cohn
2013 EPIA Recipients
PUBLIC INTEREST ATTORNEY
David Hinojosa (MALDEF)
PRIVATE ATTORNEY
Virginia Raymond
FACULTY
Michele Deitch
STUDENT
Megan Sheffield
2012 EPIA Recipients
PUBLIC INTEREST ATTORNEY
Ian Spechler (Disability Rights Texas)
PRIVATE ATTORNEY
David Gonzalez (Sumpter & Gonzalez)
FACULTY
William P. Allison & Patricia Cummings
STUDENT
Jordan Pollock
2011 EPIA Recipients
PUBLIC INTEREST ATTORNEY
Deborah Fowler (Texas Appleseed)
PRIVATE ATTORNEY
David Weiser (Kator, Parks, & Weiser, PLLC)
FACULTY
William Forbath
STUDENTS
Adriana Rodriguez & Susannah Volpe