The University of Miami School of Law's Center for Ethics and Public Service will host its Spring Awards Reception on Wednesday, March 5, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Under the leadership of Professor Anthony Alfieri, CEPS focuses on promoting social justice and ethical practice within the legal profession. The Spring Awards Reception honors the outstanding achievements of individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to the field of law and the broader community.
This year's awards celebrate the dedication and hard work of those who have advanced justice and equity, highlighting their remarkable impacts. One of this year’s notable recognitions is the Andrew D. Fredman Friend of the Center Award, which will honor several deserving recipients for their advocacy and community engagement. This year's honorees include the Coconut Grove Ministerial Alliance (CGMA), Grove Rights and Community Equity (GRACE), Coconut Grove Village West Homeowners & Tenants Association (HOATA), Dr. Akinshimaya Nnamdi, and the Reverend Nathaniel Robinson III. These individuals and organizations have shown exemplary dedication to serving their communities and furthering the cause of social justice in Miami, making them deserving recipients of this award. They have been long-standing partners with CEPS on campaigns related to rights education, environmental justice, fair housing, public transportation, and voting rights.
“The Andrew D. Fredman Friend of the Center Award honors the civil rights commitment and philanthropic legacy of the late Andrew Fredman and his family and their enduring support for the work of the Center and our community partners in advancing equal justice,” said Alfieri.
Additionally, CEPS will present the Lawyers in Leadership Award to the ACLU of Florida and the Miami Community Justice Project. These organizations embody legal advocacy and strategic action to protect civil rights and promote equal justice for all citizens. Their tireless work exemplifies the leadership and commitment to ethical principles CEPS aims to inspire in future legal practitioners. The ACLU of Florida collaborated with GRACE and CEPS in support of federal voting rights litigation regarding racial gerrymandering in City of Miami district maps. The Community Justice Project is working in cooperation with CEPS, GRACE, HOATA, CGMA, and Dr. Nnamdi to support a federal fair housing investigation probing housing discrimination in Miami that disproportionately impacts residents of the Coconut Grove Village West community by evicting, displacing, and resegregating low-income tenants.
“The Lawyers in Leadership Award honors the voting rights advocacy of the ACLU of Florida and the fair housing advocacy of the Community Justice Project on behalf of our Black church and non-profit partners in Coconut Grove Village West, advocacy crucial to the civil rights of underrepresented communities in Miami," said Alfieri.
During the reception, Alfieri will also be awarded the Michael R. Klein Distinguished Scholar Chair to recognize his commitment to scholarship, teaching, and public service. He is the founding director of CEPS and teaches legal ethics and professional responsibility, civil procedure, litigation and transactional skills, law firm management, and legal malpractice. He has written 94 published and forthcoming articles, essays, chapters, and editorials on civil rights and poverty law, ethics and professional responsibility, the law of lawyering, and the legal profession in leading law journals, newspapers, and book anthologies. This body of scholarship and his work on behalf of the Center for Ethics and Public Service has been widely cited in law journals and the media.
The CEPS Spring Awards Reception will be held at the Shalala Student Center, Grand Ballroom East, on the Coral Gables campus. Click here to register.
Read more about Miami Law’s Center for Ethics and Public Service.
