Howard Cayne, JD ‘79, 2024 Dean’s Medal Award Recipient

On behalf of WashULaw, Dean Russell K. Osgood presented Howard Cayne, JD ’79 with the 2024 Dean’s Medal during a ceremony in the Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom at Anheuser-Busch Hall on April 12. The Dean’s Medal is a rare honor and recognizes an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to the law school, including inspiring others and enhancing the school’s progress. His wife Caroline, their children, and grandchildren joined Howard at the ceremony.

Howard is a retired partner of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer, where he counseled financial and other institutions on a broad range of litigation, regulatory, compliance, and transactional matters. Howard’s broad litigation experience includes the defense and prosecution of multibillion-dollar breach of contract actions involving the federal government, as well as litigation and settlement of major class and derivative actions against large financial institutions. Among the wide array of actions led by Howard throughout his career, the matter of which he is most proud is the successful representation of fellow alumnus Andrew McCabe, JD ’93, former Acting and Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in an action involving wrongful termination and other claims, the settlement of which, in the words of Mr. McCabe, “encourages the men and women of the FBI to continue to protect the American people…without fear of political retaliation.”

Howard was elected as a member of the Washington University Board of Trustees in 2010, served as the chair of the law school’s Board of Advisors since 2014, and with his wife Caroline, served on Washington University’s Parent Council.

Read more about Howard and the 2024 WashULaw Distinguished Alumni Award honorees here.