CARLISLE Pa. — The Society of American Law Teachers (SALT) has announced that the M. Shanara Gilbert Human Rights Award will be presented to the Law Deans Antiracist Clearinghouse Project, created by Dean and Donald J. Farage Professor of Law Danielle M. Conway of Penn State Dickinson Law, Danielle Holley-Walker of Howard University School of Law, Kimberly Mutcherson of Rutgers Law School, Angela Onwuachi-Willig of Boston University School of Law, Carla D. Pratt of Washburn University School of Law, and to Elizabeth Frankel (posthumously). The Law Deans Antiracist Clearinghouse Project, launched in June 2020, is a webpage for law deans, faculty and the public that contains resources and information related to addressing racism in law and legal education.
The M. Shanara Gilbert Human Rights Award recognizes the contributions of individuals or groups who are tireless advocates for social justice, human rights, equality and justice. The award is named after a CUNY Law School professor who dedicated her life to these principals and worked for social justice domestically and internationally. In her memory, SALT honors those who believe in fighting for a better world. The M. Shanara Gilbert Award is not awarded annually, but is only bestowed when an exceptional individual, people, group or organization make significant contributions that warrant recognition.
The virtual award ceremony will be held on Friday, Jan. 7, beginning at 7:15 p.m. Registration for the virtual event is available online and additional information can be accessed on the SALT website.
A leading expert in procurement law, entrepreneurship and intellectual property law, Conway joined Dickinson Law after serving for four years as dean of the University of Maine School of Law and 14 years on the faculty of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa's William S. Richardson School of Law, where she was the inaugural Michael J. Marks Distinguished Professor of Business Law. Prior to her deanships, Conway was a member of the faculties at the Georgetown University Law Center and the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. She also served as a Fulbright Senior Scholar in Australia and later as chair in law at LaTrobe University, Faculty of Law & Management.
Conway is the author or editor of six books and casebooks as well as numerous book chapters, articles and essays. Her scholarly agenda and speeches have focused on, among other areas, advocating for public education and for actualizing the rights of marginalized groups, including Indigenous Peoples, minoritized people, and members of rural communities. Conway is the co-recipient of the inaugural Association of American Law Schools’ Impact Award, which honors individuals who have had a significant positive impact on legal education or the legal profession. In 2016, Conway retired from the U.S. Army with the rank of lieutenant colonel after 27 years of combined active, reserve and National Guard service.