Three Tulane Law Students Honored with Prestigious Tulane 34 Award
Three graduating Tulane Law School students — Jack Dean, Katie Chong, and Pablo Gonzales — have been named recipients of the 2025 Tulane 34 Award, one of the university’s highest honors. The award, presented annually to just 34 graduates across all of Tulane’s schools, recognizes students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, service, and academic excellence.
Jack Dean
A Baton Rouge native and magna cum laude graduate of the College of William and Mary, Jack Dean has made his mark at Tulane through tireless advocacy and environmental leadership. He served as Director of the Civil Program at the Tulane University Legal Assistance Program, helped organize the Tulane Environmental Law & Policy Summit, and was a member of the Tulane Environmental Law Journal, where he served as Senior Notes & Comments Editor and mentored junior members in legal writing and research. One of his most notable accomplishments came through his work in the Tulane Environmental Law Clinic, where he argued a civil rights and environmental justice case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit — a rare opportunity for a law student.
Katie Chong
Originally from Los Angeles and a graduate of Smith College, Katie Chong arrived at Tulane Law with a commitment to supporting underrepresented voices and she quickly emerged as a leader. She was elected as a 1L representative and then president of the Asian and Pacific American Law Student Association, where she created collaborative programming with other student groups to support first-year law students. A standout oral advocate, Chong competed on multiple Moot Court teams, coached fellow competitors, and was elected Chief Justice of the program in her 3L year. She also became a regional finalist and won Best Advocate at the Southwest Black Law Student Association Mock Trial competition. During a summer abroad in Rhodes, Greece, she discovered a passion for maritime law, which she plans to pursue as a practicing attorney in New Orleans after graduation.
Pablo Gonzales
A native of Dallas with degrees from Baylor University and Southern Methodist University, Pablo Gonzales has distinguished himself as a scholar, leader, and mentor. He served as Secretary of the Tulane Latino Law Students Association, helped form the Tulane Law Affinity Coalition to support academic success for first-generation and minority students, and made history as the first Latino Editor in Chief of the Tulane Law Review. Gonzales has also served as a peer tutor, notetaker, and Spanish-language interpreter for the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic. His dedication to service and scholarship was matched by an impressive slate of judicial internships and externships, and following graduation, he will serve as a federal judicial law clerk in Texas.
Through their service, scholarship, and support of their peers, Dean, Chong, and Gonzales exemplify the values of the Tulane 34 Award and the spirit of Tulane Law School.
