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Haywood Burns Memorial Award

The Haywood Burns Memorial Award is presented each year by the Committee on Civil Rights during the Annual Meeting of the New York State Bar Association in January. Nominees must be an individual, not necessarily a lawyer, who has contributed to New York State in a manner that reflects Dean Burns’ commitment to the struggle for justice and the qualities that made him an outstanding advocate for civil rights and the empowerment of the powerless.

The award is given to honor the late civil rights lawyer and academic, Dean W. Haywood Burns. From the age of 15 until his untimely death at age 55 while visiting South Africa, the former head of the City University of New York School of Law was active in seeking to expand the civil rights of all people. He was a builder of bridges rather than walls, actively involved in trying to extend connections to diverse groups within the community as a whole.

Nominations

Nominations are solicited from organizations or individuals. In keeping with Dean Burns’ own characteristic of self-effacement, self-nominations are not accepted.  Nomination forms are generally available in late summer and can be downloaded from the Committee Web site.

Previous Award Recipients

2013 Howard Glickstein, Esq.
2012 Bryan D. Hetherington, Esq.
2011 Cesar A. Perales, Esq.
2010 Mary Crisalli Sansone
2009 Dr. Parveen Chopra
2008 Donna Lieberman
2007 John F. Boston
2006 Hon. Cornelius Blackshear
2005 Laurie M. Lambrix, Esq.
2004 Leroy Wilson, Jr., Esq.
2003 Juan A. Figueroa
2002 Hon. Ellen M. Yacknin
2001 Rockwell J. Chin, Esq.
2000 Hon. Pam Badoria Jackman Brown, Esq.
1999 Prof. Randolph M. Scott-McLaughlin