Gibbs & Bruns associate Kevin Hoang was awarded the first ever Traci Grieshaber Zeller ’99 Memorial Award by University of Virigina School of Law.
After winning every prize for top grades the University of Virginia School of Law offered, Kevin Hoang ’25 has picked up another as the inaugural recipient of the Traci Grieshaber Zeller ’99 Memorial Award for the highest overall academic record.
Given to the graduate with the highest overall academic record after six semesters, the new award is named in honor of another star alum, Traci Grieshaber Zeller ’99, who died unexpectedly last year at the age of 50 (see sidebar). Zeller also graduated at the top of her class, earning what was then called the Alumni Association Award for Academic Excellence and later named the Faculty Award for Academic Excellence. In memory of Zeller, a beloved friend and mentor to many, her family, close friends and classmates collectively raised the funds to endow the new award.
Hoang, who came to UVA as a Karsh-Dillard Scholar, was an online development editor at the Virginia Law Review, a member of the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, and a research assistant for Professor A. E. Dick Howard ’61 while in law school. He earned the Carl M. Franklin Prize for having the highest GPA as a 1L and the Jackson Walker LLP Award for having the highest GPA as a 2L. Hoang also received the Traci Grieshaber Zeller ’99 Memorial Award that is given to a student with the highest GPA after five semesters, bestowed at graduation.
A native of Katy, Texas, Hoang graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with undergraduate degrees in biochemistry and international relations and global studies.
Kevin focuses his practice on complex commerical litigation with the firm and shared with UVA Law news reporter Mary Wood, “it has been such a pleasure to be back and apply all the skills I developed in law school to my cases here.”