School Notes: Yale Law School
January/February 2014

Law School honors Hillary Clinton

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton ’73JD addressed a packed audience of Yale Law School community members on October 5 after receiving the prestigious Award of Merit, the Law School’s highest honor. Clinton’s address marked the highlight of Alumni Weekend, attended by more than 900 alumni from around the world.  Since 1957 the Yale Law School Association has presented the Award of Merit annually to an esteemed graduate or to a person who has served as a full-time member of the Yale Law School faculty for at least ten years. Recipients of the award are recognized for having made a substantial contribution to public service or to the legal profession.

Lecture series examines Islamic law

This fall saw the launch of an exciting new lecture series: the Dallah Albaraka Lectures on Islamic Law & Civilization. Six guest lecturers will participate over the academic year, and they represent a range of disciplines, including a lawyer, a political scientist, an historian, and an engineer who is also a leading Iranian philosopher. Dean Robert Post ’77JD welcomes the opportunity to discuss Islamic law, saying, “It is essential that our students engage this subject, and these lectures will enable us pursue this important dimension of our educational mission.” All of the Dallah Albaraka lectures are open to the public.

Celebrating women’s rights

Zainab Salbi, founder of Women for Women International, delivered the 2013 Gruber Distinguished Lecture in Women’s Rights, titled “Empowering Voice, Engendering Change.” Since 1993, Women for Women International has helped over 315,000 women access social and economic opportunities in countries around the world. The Gruber events, held October 21 and 22, also featured two panel discussions: “Voice and Revolution: Gender, Rights, and the Roles of Women in the Middle East,” and “Reconsidering Voice: Agency, Gender, and the Role of Law in Development.”  The Gruber Program for Global Justice and Women’s Rights is a university program administered by the Law School. It was established in 2011 by Peter and Patricia Gruber as part of the Gruber Foundation.