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W&L Law Alums Joe Brown ‘68L and Jim Ferguson ‘88L Receive Awards at 2013 Law Alumni Weekend

On April 20 during Law Alumni Weekend 2013, Washington and Lee School of Law announced the recipients of the Outstanding Alum Award and the Volunteer of the Year Award.

Joe Brown ’68L received the 2013 Outstanding Law Alumnus Award for his exceptional achievements in the legal profession and his unselfish service to his community and alma mater. Brown is a director at Fennemore Craig Jones Vargas, where he practices in the areas of government affairs, administrative law and business law.

He is a former appointee of President Ronald Reagan to the State Justice Institute and the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States (1981-88) and has served as an officer or director of many businesses, civic and charitable organizations including the Nature Conservancy, the Department of Wildlife, the Nevada Development Authority, the Nevada Athletic Commission and Wells Fargo Bank. Presently, he serves as a commissioner for the Nevada Gaming Commission and Vice Chair of the Nevada Military Support Alliance.

Brown is listed as one of the Best Lawyers in America in the field of government relations law and was also recognized in the 2007 through 2010 issues of Super Lawyers magazine as one of the top business and corporate lawyers in the five-state mountain region, as well as being named to the 2011 Super Lawyers Business Edition and the 2012 Best Lawyers in America list. In addition, Brown served as Chairman of the Government Affairs Practice Group of Terralex, a top-tier, international legal networking organization which serves client legal needs and business interests through a worldwide network of law firms that meet only the highest professional standards.

At W&L Brown has served on the Law Council and as a Law Class Agent. He currently serves as a Law Alumni Mentor.

Jim Ferguson ’88L received the 2013 Volunteer of the Year Award, which recognizes those individuals who go above and beyond assisting the Law School. He is the former chair of the Law Annual Fund, a former Law Class Agent, the immediate past president of the Law Council, and an active member in the W&L Dallas Chapter.

Ferguson has worked works tirelessly on behalf of W&L, whether recruiting students, interviewing them for employment, connecting them to other attorneys, raising money, hosting events in his home, or encouraging classmates to return for reunion.

In addition to this, Jim has a full-time job as manager of the Tax Counsel & Standards Division at Exxon Mobil Corporation. He is responsible, among other things, for all significant tax legal positions, major transactions and strategic planning for the corporation. A native of Franklin County, Jim graduated from UVA prior to coming to W&L.

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