Professional Achievement Awards

Joseph E. O'Neill Award

Attorney Mark Vetter, Davis & Kuelthau, S.C., 2009 Winner Clark Griffith, and NSLI Director Matt Mitten

The Joseph E. O'Neill Award was established by the O'Neill family, Davis & Kuelthau, S.C. and the National Sports Law Institute after Mr. O'Neill's untimely death in 1992. The award is given to an individual in the sports industry who has made a significant contribution to the field and done so while exemplifying the highest ethical standards. Past recipients of this award are

2009: Clark Griffith, Commissioner, Northern League, and former Chair, NSLI Board of Advisors, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

2008: Honorable Anne M. Burke, Illinois Supreme Court, Chicago, Illinois.

2007: Frank DeGuire (L'60), Dean Emeritus, Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

2006: Richard Berthelsen, General Counsel, National Football League Players Association, Washington, D.C.

2005: Michael Cramer (L'78), Chief Administrative Officer of Pinnacle Foods Corp., and a partner in C. Dean Metropoulos & Co., Greenwich, Connecticut.

2004: Michael Marcil (L'85), Commissioner, North Central Conference, Sioux City, South Dakota.

2003: Robert DuPuy, Chief Operating Officer, Major League Baseball.

2002: Michael Slive, Commissioner of the Southeastern Conference.

2001: Martin J. Greenberg (L'71), Managing Director, ScheerGame Sports Development, LLC, and Charles Mentkowski (L'48), Professor Emeritus, Marquette University Law School.

2000: Wendy Selig-Prieb (L'87), former President and Chief Executive Officer, Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club.

1999: Daniel R. Doucette, former President and Principal Owner, Milwaukee Rampage, and President and Chief Executive Officer, Milwaukee Mutual Insurance Company.

1998: Charles W. Mulcahy (L'62), Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek SC, and President, Milwaukee Tennis Classic Foundation.

1996: Joseph E. Tierney, Jr., attorney for the Bradley Foundation and Milwaukee Admirals.

1995: Brian Burke, former Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations for the National Hockey League and current President and General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks.

1993: A. Jackson Mills, President, Ascent Sports Management, Boulder, Colorado.

Master of the Game Award

2007 Award Winner Michael Conley

The Master of the Game Award honors an individual who has made significant contributions to the sports industry and who exemplifies the highest level of professionalism in his or her field. Past recipients of the award are

2007: Michael Conley, Executive Director, World Sport Chicago, and CEO, MAC Management Group, Chicago, Illinois.

2004: Dr. Cedric Dempsey, former Executive Director, National Collegiate Athletic Association.

2003: Donna de Varona, women's rights advocate and dual Olympic Gold Medalist 1964.

2001: Tommy G. Thompson, Secretary of Health and Human Services and former Governor of the State of Wisconsin.

2000: Allan H. "Bud" Selig, Commissioner of Major League Baseball.

1997: Bob Harlan, President of the Green Bay Packers.

1995: Hank Aaron, MLB Hall of Fame member and executive with the Atlanta Braves.

1994: Bart Starr, NFL Hall of Fame member and former Green Bay Packer.

1992: Al McGuire, former head men's basketball coach at Marquette University

Charles W. Mentkowski Sports Law Alumnus of the Year Award

2009 winner Professor Kristi Schoepfer and NSLI Associate Director, Professor Paul Anderson, Chair, Sports Law Alumni Association

Created in 2002, the Awards Committee of the National Sports Law Institute's Sports Law Alumni Association presents this award to the alum who demonstrates the following qualities; dedication to the sports law program at Marquette University Law School while a student at Marquette, contributions to the Sports Law Alumni Association, contributions to the field of sports law in general, and support of the NSLI and Sports Law Program after their time as a student in the law school. Past recipients of this award include:

2009: Kristi Schoepfer (L'01), Assistant Professor, Sport Management, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, South Carolina.

2008: James Gray (L'90), partner, Pierski & Gray, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Assistant Professor, Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York.

2007: Martin Greenberg (L'73), partner, Greenberg & Hoeschen, LLP, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

2006: Shawn Eichorst (L'95), Senior Associate Athletic Director, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin.

2005: Kathryn Statz (L'00), Associate Athletic Director for Varsity Sports, DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois.

2004: Greg Heller (L'96), Senior Counsel, Turner Broadcasting System, Atlanta, Georgia.

2003: Paul Anderson (L'95), Associate Director, National Sports Law Institute of Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

2002: Bill Miller (L'96), Executive Vice President/Professional Sports, The Leib Group, LLC, Mequon, Wisconsin.