Law Faculty Members Recognized By Black Law Students

BUFFAL0, N.Y. -- University at Buffalo School of Law faculty members Makau Mutua and Judy Scales-Trent have received awards from the regional National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) for their commitment to educating students of color.

The awards were presented on Saturday, Feb. 7, during a dinner highlighting the 30th annual regional convention of the organization, hosted by the UB chapter and attended by some 350 law students from the Northeast.

NBLSA, through its 210 college and university chapters, advances education, development and growth of African-American law students.

Mutua, associate professor of law, received the Thurgood Marshall Award recognizing his continued commitment to the education and training of law students of color at UB, as well as his experience in international law.

He is director of the university's Human Rights Center and formerly was associate director of Harvard University's Human Rights Program. Mutua has conducted numerous human-rights, diplomatic and rule-of-law missions in Africa, Latin America and Europe.

He resides in Buffalo.

Scales-Trent, professor of law, received the Barbara Jordan Award for Faculty Excellence recognizing her commitment to educating law students of color and her teaching methods and impact on the education of UB law students.

Scales-Trent authored "Notes of a White Black Woman" and is continuing research comparing racial purity laws in the U.S., Nazi Germany and South Africa.

She earned a law degree from Northwestern University and has served as an attorney for the Appellate Division, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and special assistant to general counsel and commissioner of the EEOC.

She resides in Amherst.