Dean Claudio Grossman Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from Hispanic National Bar Foundation

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 25, 2012 -- Claudio Grossman, dean of American University Washington College of Law, was awarded the Hispanic National Bar Foundation (HNBF) Lifetime Leadership Award, at a ceremony held July 19 before a crowd of more than 250 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C. The awards dinner recognized the outstanding contributions of Latino/a leaders in the legal community.

Past honorees to receive this prestigious national lifetime achievement award have included Federal Judge Ricardo Urbina and former California Supreme Court Justice and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Cruz Reynoso.

The HNBF is dedicated to empowering the Hispanic community through education and the support of diversity in the legal profession. Similarly, American University Washington College of Law, which has been led by Dean Grossman since 1995, is committed to the values of diversity and human rights. AUWCL is one of the most diverse law schools in the nation and is repeatedly recognized as a welcoming environment for minority students, including Hispanic students. Last year, Hispanic Business Magazine recognized American University Washington College of Law as 2nd in the nation when it comes to promoting Hispanic diversity.

Among the law school's innovative programs is a new Spanish for Lawyers program launched this spring. The course introduces Spanish speakers to legal concepts in Spanish, allowing more attorneys to serve the Hispanic community. Each Spring the law school also hosts a day-long Hispanic Law Conference, an important event for the AUWCL community that brings together those who are devoted to the progress of Hispanics in the U.S. and in the hemisphere.

Since Dean Grossman’s appointment as dean of American University Washington College of Law in 1995, the law school has further developed its intellectual creativity, significantly expanded its extensive programmatic offerings, and dramatically improved its diversity and student-faculty ratio.

In addition to his role as Dean, Grossman also serves as chair of the United Nations Committee against Torture. He is former president and member of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, where he also served as the Special Rapporteur on Women’s Rights and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Populations. In January 2012, Grossman received the Deborah L. Rhode Award from the AALS Section on Pro Bono and Public Service Opportunities for his work on behalf of pro bono and public interest programs throughout the country.

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