The Tyler Lawrence Memorial Peacemaker Award honors the memory of a 13-year-old boy whose life was cut short by violence in January 2023 but whose spirit — described by those who loved him as that of a “peacemaker who brought people together” and a “force for good” — lives on in the work of Northeastern Law students. Established by Professor Richard Daynard and his wife, Carol, in memory of Tyler Lawrence, grandson of Northeastern Law friend and colleague Stan Lawrence, the award recognizes students who carry on Tyler’s legacy through youth advocacy and community-building work in experiential learning. This year, that recognition belongs to Ezekiel Hopkins ’26, whose dedicated pursuit of justice and legal practice centered in communities reflects exactly the impact Tyler was destined to have on the world.

“I am honored to have received the Tyler Lawrence Memorial Peacemaker Award. It means a lot to be recognized for my work, which has always been rooted in community — work shaped by the people and experiences that have challenged me to think more critically about justice and my role within it. This award reminds me to keep showing up with intention, to listen closely and to remain accountable to the communities I serve,” said Hopkins, whose path toward legal advocacy began with a bachelor’s degree in political science and criminology at Villanova University and continued through law school co-ops with the US Attorney’s Office in Boston, the Office of the Solicitor General for the District of Columbia and the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project. He also participated in the Prisoners’ Rights Clinic. After graduating in April, he joined the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office in New York as an assistant district attorney.

“This award reminds me to keep showing up with intention, to listen closely and to remain accountable to the communities I serve”

— Ezekiel Hopkins