University of St. Thomas School of Law Faculty Fellow Rebecca Scholtz, who is also a senior staff attorney with the National Immigration Project, received the 2026 Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award from the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
From the announcement:
Rebecca Scholtz was nominated for a myriad of both recent and longstanding work. She has provided training, including legal resources, technical assistance, coordinating coalitions, supporting amicus briefing, developing and executing federal litigation, and setting up the legal response infrastructure, mentorship on habeas cases, and being recognized as an expert on Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). Nominators described her contributions as a reflection of her excellence in advancing the practice of immigration law, especially when it comes to issues involving immigrant youth, a population that nominators noted, “this presidential administration has targeted with impunity.”
The nominators concluded, “In short, Rebecca is one of the best lawyers in the field. What makes her stand out, however, is not just her brilliance, but also her proven dedication to improving the practice of law through her support of other attorneys and through federal litigation.”
Scholtz has worked with the School of Law's Immigration Law Practice Group legal clinic since 2017.
