Faculty Awards
The Berkeley Law faculty is known for its academic excellence and commitment to teaching. Students learn from legal scholars who are nationally, and internationally recognized as authorities in their fields. Faculty members are actively engaged in research and in service to the public and to the profession locally, nationally and internationally.
Berkeley Law’s faculty has long been recognized and honored for its outstanding teaching. Two awards programs recognize these teaching skills:
The UC Berkeley Distinguished Teaching Award
Established in 1959, the UC Berkeley Distinguished Teaching Award encourages and celebrates teaching excellence. Each year several Berkeley professors are chosen from more than 1,300 faculty members to receive the award.
Berkeley Law is proud to have had 17 award recipients from the law school faculty. They are:
| 2022 | Andrew Bradt |
| 2021 | Molly Van Houweling (Extraordinary Teaching in Extraordinary Times Award) |
| 2019 | Andrea Roth |
| 2016 | Anne Joseph O’Connell |
| 2012 | David Sklansky |
| 2009 | Goodwin Liu |
| 2000 | Eleanor Swift |
| 1998 | Jesse H. Choper |
| 1995 | Rachel F. Moran |
| 1993 | William A. Fletcher |
| 1990 | Melvin A. Eisenberg |
| 1987 | Robert C. Berring Jr. ’74 |
| 1984 | James R. Gordley |
| 1983 | Caleb Foote |
| 1983 | Marjorie M. Shultz |
| 1962 | Herma Hill Kay |
| 1960 | Sho Sato |
The Rutter Award for Teaching Distinction
The Rutter Award for Teaching Distinction honors Berkeley Law professors who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to teaching. The annual award was established in 1995 by William A. Rutter, philanthropist, lawyer, educator, and author. The award recipients are:
| 2023 | Kenneth Ayotte |
| 2022 | Molly Van Houweling |
| 2021 | Bertrall Ross |
| 2020 | Amanda Tyler |
| 2019 | Andrew Bradt |
| 2018 | Robert Bartlett |
| 2017 | Kristen Holmquist |
| 2016 | Andrea Roth |
| 2015 | Elisabeth A. Semel |
| 2014 | Melissa Murray |
| 2013 | Patricia Plunkett Hurley |
| 2012 | Anne Joseph O’Connell |
| 2011 | Stephen Bundy |
| 2010 | Eric Rakowski |
| 2009 | Philip Frickey |
| 2008 | Marjorie Shultz |
| 2006 | Jesse Choper |
| 2005 | Herma Hill Kay |
| 2004 | Howard Shelanski ’92 |
| 2003 | Angela P. Harris |
| 2002 | Melvin A. Eisenberg |
| 2001 | James R. Gordley |
| 2000 | Linda Hamilton Krieger |
| 1999 | Andrea L. Peterson ’78 |
| 1998 | Eleanor Swift |
| 1997 | John P. Dwyer ’80 |
| 1996 | Paul J. Mishkin |
| 1995 | Jan Vetter |