Mercer School of Law’s Student Bar Association has been named the 2026 American Bar Association Law Student Division’s Student Bar Association of the Year, the organization’s highest national honor for student bar associations. Mercer Law is the only law school in the nation selected for the award this year.
The Mercer Student Bar Association serves as Mercer Law’s student government and the umbrella organization for all Mercer Law student organizations, representing the interests of the entire student body. Its board of governors provides an important avenue of communication among students, student organizations, faculty and administration, alumni, the legal community, and the American Bar Association.
The Student Bar Association of the Year Award recognizes an outstanding student bar association at an American Bar Association-approved law school for excellence in programming, student advocacy, organizational leadership and community service.
“I could not be more proud to be part of an organization dedicated to community, service and bettering student life for all,” said Hannah M. Wagner, LAW ’27, American Bar Association chair/Mercer Student Bar Association. “None of this would have been possible without our incredible SBA, Vice Chair Carlee Blankenship and the broader Mercer community. To act in service is to act with purpose.”
Throughout the 2025-2026 academic year, Mercer Student Bar Association’s leadership team worked to strengthen the student experience, build community, support student organizations, promote well-being, and connect students with faculty, alumni, the legal profession and the broader community.
The Student Bar Association continued signature programs including Wellness Week, the Halloween Social and Barrister’s Ball, while introducing new opportunities for students to connect with one another and the law school community. Wellness Week featured daily activities focused on student well-being and self-care, while the new “Pie Your Professor” event brought students and faculty together while raising funds for charitable efforts.
Community service was another major focus. The Student Bar Association helped Mercer Law achieve a record-breaking $28,239 fundraising total for the Legal Food Frenzy, benefiting the Middle Georgia Community Food Bank and providing more than 100,000 meals to people facing food insecurity.
The Student Bar Association also expanded opportunities for students to engage beyond the law school. Through a partnership with the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, the Student Bar Association connected Mercer Law students with opportunities to serve the local community, including a service project benefiting a local food bank. The partnership reflected the Student Bar Association’s broader commitment to service and connecting students with the legal profession and the communities it serves.
“Mercer Law’s Student Bar Association exemplifies what student leadership can accomplish when it combines advocacy, service and community,” said Dean Karen J. Sneddon, J.D. “This national recognition is a tremendous honor for Mercer Law and a testament to the dedication of the students who work throughout the year to make the law school a stronger, more connected community.”
“Watching our SBA lead the last academic year, what stood out was their genuine commitment to their fellow students,” said Jeannie Zipperer, J.D., Ph.D., assistant dean of student affairs. “They listened to what students needed, found ways to bring people together, supported our student organizations, and looked beyond the law school for opportunities to serve. This award is a well-deserved recognition of the time, energy and care our student leaders invested in the Mercer Law community.”
As the sole recipient nationwide in 2026, the honor recognizes the collective work of Mercer Law’s student leaders and their commitment to advocacy, service, engagement and building a strong and connected law school community.
