During the seventeen years that she taught at Washington and Lee University, Professor Louise A. Halper was an advocate for minority viewpoints on campus. She founded and served as faculty advisor to the Race and Ethnic Ancestry Law Digest, which evolved into the Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice. Both inside and outside the classroom, she encouraged students, whatever their politics or beliefs, to speak their minds about today's most complicated social problems. She also urged students, via their written work, to identify and advocate for new ideas, solutions or paths towards making the world a more just society for all individuals.
Created after Professor Halper's unexpected passing in June 2008, the annual Louise A. Halper Award seeks to honor her efforts as an advocate, educator, mentor, colleague, and friend. Each spring, the Award is presented to the second-year law student who is judged to have submitted the best note for publication in the Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice. Members of the Journal's board determine the winner.
On behalf of the entire Washington and Lee community, the Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice wish to thank James ('98L) and Elizabeth Williams. Mr. Williams was the Editor-in-Chief of the Race and Ethnic Ancestry Law Journal when he was a law student at Washington and Lee. Through 2012, the winners of the Louise A. Halper Award will each receive a cash prize thanks to the Williams Family.
See here for more information and each year's recipient of the award:
http://law.wlu.edu/crsj/page.asp?pageid=834