David D. White Award and Scholarship Reception
Capital University Law School and the African American Law Alumni Association cordially invite you to the
36th Annual David D. White Award Presentation & Networking Event
Honoring Sean L. WaltonWednesday, February 26, 2025 4:30pm to 6:30pm Capital University Law School |
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Support
This event helps support the David D. White Scholarship Endowment at Capital University Law School, created in 1989 by the African American Law Alumni Association.
To support the David D. White Scholarship, please go to www.capconnect.org/donate, select the designation "Other," and manually enter "David D. White Scholarship."
Call 614-236-7129 with any questions.
Sean L. Walton, L '11
Sean Walton, Jr. is an award-winning attorney whose legal expertise and unwavering commitment to justice have earned him national recognition for unprecedented results. Named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers every year since 2018, Sean has made a significant impact on the legal community. His accolades include the 2023 Poindexter Award from Columbus City Council and the 2021 Barrister’s Salute from the John Mercer Langston Bar Association.
A 2011 graduate of Capital University Law School, Sean entered as a Presidential Merit Scholar and was honored as the 2020 Graduate of the Last Decade. He serves on the Board of Trustees for both the Ohio Association for Justice and the American Association for Justice and contributes to equity initiatives as a member of Axon’s Ethics and Equity Advisory Council. As an adjunct professor at Capital University Law School, Sean is shaping the next generation of legal minds.
Specializing in civil rights, personal injury, and wrongful death, Sean’s exceptional legal skills and strategic advocacy continue to drive meaningful change. As a devoted husband to Jennifer and proud father to Sabella and Skyla, Sean exemplifies leadership and a steadfast dedication to justice and community.
David D. White was Capital University Law School’s first African-American graduate and was an influential figure in the Central Ohio legal community his entire professional career.
Born in Winston-Salem, N.C., White came to Columbus at an early age and attended local schools where he was an outstanding athlete. He graduated from the Columbus School of Law (now Capital University Law School) in 1931 and became the first African-American attorney licensed to practice in Columbus. He practiced for more than 57 years as a partner in the firm of Bell, White and Ross.
White was a member of the Columbus Bar Association Board of Governors, the Ohio Public Defender Commission, the Ohio State Bar Association’s Council of Delegates, and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.
The African American Law Alumni Association established the David D. White Scholarship Award in his honor. The award has been presented annually since 1989.
White passed away in 1992.
In 2011, White was one of the inaugural Capital University Law School Hall of Honor inductees, a recognition reserved for individuals who have profoundly influenced the Law School and reached and remained at the pinnacle of their fields for a period of time that demonstrates perseverance and maturation.
2024 Daniel T. Kobil
2023 Hon. Terri Jamison, L'04
2022 Cassandra Jeter Bailey, L'03
2021 Lindsay Ford Ellis, L'07
2020 Jennifer A. Adair, L'05
2019 Hon. James E. Green
2018 Fred Gittes
2017 Hon. Stephen L. McIntosh
2016 Mark Hatcher, L'06, LL.M.'06
2015 John H. Strick, II
2014 Richard C. Pfeiffer, Jr.
2013 Jerry O. Allen, '75, L'84
2012 Janet L. Green Marbley, L’79
2011 Jack A. Guttenberg
2010 Hon. H. Alfred Glascor
2009 Floyd D. Weatherspoon
2008 Douglas J. Haynes, L’81 (posthumously)
2007 Mayor Michael B. Coleman, H’01
2006 Patsy A. Thomas, L’94
2005 Hon. Algenon L. Marbley, H’00
2004 Jack G. Gibbs Jr., L’81
2003 Senator Ben Espy
2002 Larry H. James
2001 Carl D. Smallwood
2000 Hon. Yvette McGee Brown
1999 Hon. Robert M. Duncan
1998 Janet E. Jackson
1997 John W. Waddy Jr., L’78
1996 Robert J. Weiler, L’83
1995 Janice G. White, L’77
1994 Hon. John A. Howard, L’49
1993 Clenzo B. Fox, L’53
1992 Louis Bernard LaCour, L’61
1991 William T. Johnson, L’72
1990 David D. White, L’31