Professor Peter Lake to Receive Prestigious Law Review Award
Stetson Law Review is proud to announce Professor Peter Lake as the 2025 recipient of the J. Ben Watkins Award for Excellence in the Legal Profession. The award is presented annually in honor of the late J. Ben Watkins LL.B. ’49, a member of the Stetson Law Board of Overseers who helped found the Stetson Law Review, to recognize an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and accomplishment in the legal community. Past recipients include Professor Ellen Podgor, Justice Charles Canady of the Florida Supreme Court, and Judge Charles Wilson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
As the Charles A. Dana Chair and Director for the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy, Professor Lake is nationally recognized as an expert in higher education law and policy. His scholarship has been instrumental in advancing the landscape of higher education law and transforming discourse and policy decisions on Title IX, campus safety, and student mental health at universities across the country. Beyond his scholarly contributions, Professor Lake is celebrated for his captivating teaching style, sensitive and caring disposition, and focus on preparing students for the bar.
“Professor Lake is an institution within this institution,” commented Drew Valenti, Editor in Chief of the Stetson Law Review. “His thirty-five years of service to the school have directly impacted the careers of hundreds, if not thousands, of Stetson lawyers, and he embodies the excellence this award was created to recognize.”
Recently, by partnering with Stetson Law Review for its 2026 Symposium—Higher Education on Trial—Professor Lake has demonstrated his commitment to advancing Stetson’s reach and visibility. The Symposium will take place on March 6, 2026 in conjunction with the Center’s 47th Annual National Conference on Higher Education Law & Policy in Clearwater Beach. His generosity and willingness to support the journal have positioned Stetson Law Review to execute its largest symposium in recent history.
“Professor Lake is the worthiest recipient I can think of for this award,” said Professor Stephanie Vaughan, a long-time colleague (and former student) of Professor Lake. “He came to Stetson from Harvard and Wall Street and immediately put us on the map. Through his academic prowess and intellect, Professor Lake is a well-known scholar. But he is an even better person.”
The Stetson Law Review will present the award to Professor Lake at the journal’s Fall Awards Banquet on November 18th.