Columbia Law School’s 2015 Medal for Excellence, the school’s highest honor, was awarded Friday to Southern District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum (center) and to Roberta Kaplan (left), a partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and a Lecturer-in-Law at the school.

Law School Dean Gillian Lester presented the award to the honorees, both alumnae, at the winter luncheon at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.