May 17, 2016

Professor Julia Vazquez to be Honored by National Lawyers Guild

Professor Julia Vázquez is being honored by the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) in recognition of her outstanding work as a professor and supervising attorney for Southwestern’s Immigration Law Clinic. She is an officer of the Board of the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild and will receive her award at a the group’s annual dinner on June 12 in Pasadena.

“I am humbled and honored to receive this special recognition by the National Lawyers Guild—an organization of lawyers and legal workers that welcomed me to the world of social justice lawyering with open arms,” Professor Vázquez said. “My fellow Guild members continuously inspire me to fight for justice on behalf of underserved communities who would otherwise be voiceless before our legal system. To be honored by the very men and women who inspire and push me to be the best lawyer and professor I can be, makes this award profoundly special.”

Colleen Flynn ’04, Interim Executive Director of the NLG and a Southwestern alumna, said, “The Guild selected Professor Julia Vázquez as an honoree because of her staunch advocacy for the rights of immigrants and her outstanding reputation as a clinical professor at Southwestern. She is also a beloved member of the Los Angeles Guild Chapter.”

The National Lawyers Guild has been fighting for social and economic justice for nearly 80 years in the belief that human rights are more sacred than property interests. Every year at NLG’s annual awards dinner, the organization honors attorneys who exemplify these principles.

Professor Vázquez added, “As the faculty advisor to the Southwestern Student Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, I am dedicated to helping our students take advantage of the benefits the Guild has to offer. Camaraderie, mentorship—in the truest sense of the word—a shared pursuit of social justice and a chance to work with and learn from the best civil and human rights attorneys in the nation are just a few of the benefits I have gained throughout my years in the Guild.”

This June 12 event will be held on Sunday, June 12, 2016 at 5:30 p.m. at the Pasadena Hilton Hotel. Tickets and information about this year’s dinner are available at nlg-la.org.