The National Jurist recently announced its 2025 Law Students of the Year. This esteemed list, which showcases individuals driving meaningful change in their communities and the legal profession, highlights only 10 students nationally. Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS) 3L Isaiah Gonzales JD’25 was selected as one of those 10, receiving honorable mention recognition.
Isaiah has made outstanding contributions to VLGS during his time as a student. A student ambassador since his 2L year, he has represented the school at events for current and prospective students, including orientation, alumni events, development activities, and admissions open houses.
Isaiah also served as the Student Bar Association (SBA) president during the 2024-2025 academic year—the first Latino to hold this position at VLGS—and oversaw all SBA meetings. In this leadership role, Isaiah created an inclusive environment in which members of the SBA Senate could freely discuss and debate issues that affect the entire student body, and he effectively communicated with fellow students, faculty, and staff.
“In his role as SBA president, Isaiah has handled many sensitive issues with kindness, empathy, and compassion, all while keeping firm boundaries,” said VLGS Director of Student Affairs Ashley Ziai.
During his 3L year, Isaiah worked tirelessly to create a partnership between the SBA and the VLGS Alumni Association to establish an alumni-student mentoring program through the Legal Mentor Network, an initiative dedicated to connecting law students and recently barred attorneys with legal mentors.
In addition, Isaiah acted as symposium editor of the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law (VJEL), a student-run organization that seeks to provide an accessible forum to discuss contemporary environmental justice. In this role, he effectively planned and executed VJEL’s “Climate Justice LIVE” symposium, which took place during the Spring 2025 semester. Isaiah also co-authored “Unseen and Unprotected: The Ongoing Struggle of Climate Refugees in the United States” with Professor Siu Tip Lam for the publication’s 2025 Top 10 Environmental Watch List.
As a 2L, Isaiah served as co-chair of the Latinx American and Caribbean Law Students Association (LALSA). During his tenure, the student group planned the school’s first Hispanic Heritage Week. He also organized Raíces Verdes: Latinos Shaping Vermont, a celebration of the significant contributions, experiences, and perspectives of Vermont’s Latinx community. This event featured panelists including the assistant attorney general for the state of Vermont, the executive director of Racial Equity for the State of Vermont, a Vermont State House representative, and the director of policy, education, and outreach for the Human Rights Commission of the State of Vermont.
Isaiah was also a legal intern with the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project (VAAP), and was featured in an NBC5 news segment, “In Depth: Crossing the Border,” where he and VAAP Executive Director Jill Martin Diaz discussed the legal challenges that asylum seekers face across the United States.
Isaiah is a dynamic and inspiring presence who brings joy to others across campus. As co-chair for the diversity subcommittee for Admissions, he shared a “day in the life” of a VLGS student through an Instagram takeover and has even taught salsa lessons for other students.
Through his leadership, engagement, collaboration, and work ethic, Isaiah has been an outstanding member of the VLGS community. We celebrate his well-deserved recognition in The National Jurist’s 2025 Law Students of the Year feature and wish him great success as he prepares for the next stage of his career.
