Loyola Law to Honor Kamala Harris with Award

Loyola Law School, Los Angeles will honor California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris with its Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. Public Service Award during a ceremony that will feature a panel discussion exploring the intersection of race and community policing. The event will be held from 4-8:30 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2015 on Loyola’s downtown LA campus. The event will benefit Loyola’s African American Scholarship Fund.

The Cochran Award is presented annually to an individual who embodies the qualities of the late Loyola alumnus Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. ’62. “Nobody has had the courage to say this is wrong,” Cochran once said. This award celebrates those who have such courage – those who have demonstrated excellence in their profession, dedication to social justice and a commitment to serving their community. These trailblazers, innovators, master attorneys and mentors embody the spirit of Cochran, the legendary attorney who dedicated his career to helping underserved constituencies fight for justice.

In the wake of such high-profile instances of racial conflict with law enforcement in Ferguson, Mo. and New York City, the panel discussion “Seeking Justice in Our Community” will focus on the challenges African-American and Latino communities face with regard to community policing. The panelists will be Benjamin Crump, partner, Parks & Crump, L.L.C.; Jamon Hicks ’04, partner, Douglas / Hicks Law; Pamela Means, president, National Bar Association; Earl Paysinger, first assistant chief, Los Angeles Police Department; and Connie Rice, co-director, the Advancement Project. The moderator will be Professor Laurie Levenson, David W. Burcham Professor of Ethical Advocacy. 

The panel discussion will run from 4-5:30 p.m. The award presentation honoring Attorney General Harris and the reception will run from 6-8:30 p.m. To learn more about the program, please see http://lls.edu/resources/alumni/alumnievents/2015events/cochranawardandreception/. All events will take place on Loyola Law School's campus at 919 Albany St., Los Angeles CA 90015 (on Olympic just west of LA Live). Members of the media who wish to attend should contact Brian Costello, assistant director of marketing & communications, at brian.costello@lls.edu or 213-736-1444 (o).