Guy-Uriel Charles, Faculty Director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race & Justice and Charles Ogletree, Jr. Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, is the recipient of the Michael A. Olivas Award for Outstanding Leadership in Diversity and Mentoring in the Legal Academy, a joint recognition by four AALS sections.
“I am thrilled to receive the Olivas Award,” Charles said. “It is both a privilege and responsibility to be associated with this brilliant scholar who has done so much for the legal academy and particularly for legal academics of color. I endeavor to do my best as one of the keepers of the flame.”
The annual award serves to honor the legacy of Michael A. Olivas, who died in April 2022 after an illustrious career in law, most recently serving as William B. Bates Distinguished Chair in Law Emeritus at the University of Houston Law Center and the Director of the University of Houston’s Institute for Higher Education Law & Governance. In 2018, Olivas was awarded the AALS Triennial Award for Lifetime Service to Legal Education and the Law, the association’s highest honor.
The Olivas Award is presented by the AALS Sections on Civil Rights, Education Law, Minority Groups, and Student Services. It is awarded annually to law faculty member or members who most vividly exemplify Olivas’s devotion to mentoring junior and aspiring faculty from underrepresented communities and promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity in the legal academy.
Professor Charles is the inaugural Charles Ogletree, Jr. Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race & Justice. His scholarship focuses on how law mediates political power and how law addresses racial subordination. He has articles that have appeared in New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Time, The Atlantic, and Slate. He has delivered distinguished lectures at University of California, Davis School of Law, University of Richmond School of Law, University of Oregon School of Law, and William and Mary Law School. Currently, he serves on the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States appointed by President Biden.
“Professor Charles’s contributions to mentoring underrepresented scholars in the legal academy are unparalleled,” said Etienne C. Toussaint, chair of the award selection committee and Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law. “He has created transformative opportunities for aspiring and junior legal academics, equipping participants with critical skills while fostering a lasting community of support among diverse scholars. His tireless dedication exemplifies the values celebrated by the Michael A. Olivas Award. Professor Charles’s leadership has advanced diversity and inclusion but also reshaped the future of legal education by ensuring that the next generation of scholars receives the mentorship and support they need to thrive.”
In addition to Professor Toussaint, the selection committee for the award included Ben Trachtenberg (University of Missouri School of Law), Jason Gillmer (Gonzaga University School of Law), and Elizabeth T. Bangs (The University of Texas School of Law). The award will be presented at an awards ceremony at the AALS Annual Meeting in San Francisco on January 9, 2025.