The Brian M. Sax Prize for Excellence in Clinical Advocacy was established in memory of the 1969 Law Building alumnus by his family, colleagues, and friends following his death in 1997. It honors Sax’s enthusiasm for the practice of law and his dedication to teaching. The Sax Prize, initially a $500 award, was increased to $1000 in 2006. It is given each spring semester to a graduating student who, during his or her law school career, has displayed excellence in advocacy and professional judgment on behalf of clients in a Berkeley Law in-house or faculty-sponsored clinic. The first prize was given in 1998, and the names of each year’s recipients are inscribed on a plaque located in the lobby of Simon Hall and posted here.
Faculty and students submit nominations to a four-person committee that consists of Ronald G. Aronovsky ’80, one of Sax’s former law partners, along with clinical and non-clinical faculty members selected by the dean. In reaching its decision, the Brian M. Sax Prize Committee considers the applicants’ oral and written advocacy skills, their demonstrated commitment to the zealous representation of their clients, and their reflections on the lawyer’s role within the profession and society.
“Grounded in internationalist solidarity, the Human Rights Clinic and seminars exposed me to the panoply of interpretations and uses of human rights law, particularly that of TWAIL scholars and domestic advocates and activists.”
— Belén de Leon ’25
Belén de Leon ’25 emerged as a principled, strategic, and deeply compassionate advocate over four semesters in the Human Rights Clinic. De Leon took on complex legal challenges — from corporate accountability to counter-terrorism and crimes against humanity — consistently producing work marked by intellectual rigor and moral clarity. With a sharp eye for the limits of existing doctrine, she developed thoughtful, research-driven proposals to better serve clients and partners. A quiet leader, she exemplifies purposeful collaboration — uplifting peers and earning the trust of survivors and partners through empathy and resolve. De Leon meets uncertainty with courage and hardship with grace. This award powerfully affirm her brilliance, resilience, and unwavering belief in human dignity.
Honorable Mention
Dana Dabbousi ’25 was part of the inaugural Global Rights Innovation Lab (GRIL) cohort where she conducted stakeholder interviews, tapped her professional network, and harnessed her STEM background and lived experiences for insightful analysis mapping the field. Her multidisciplinary collaboration skills deftly bridge law and technology, while her deep reflection on legal practice pushed the clinic’s development and shaped GRIL’s mission beyond her tenure. Well attuned to structural bias, Dabbousi thinks carefully about how GRIL will ensure datasets generate meaningful results for communities. As a 2L, she also contributed to the Environmental Law Clinic on a project supporting equitable, multi-local implementation of a California law that promotes solar energy access and economic justice.