Gerald López was awarded the 2015 Deborah L. Rhode Award by the Association of American Law Schools Section on Pro Bono and Public Service Opportunities. He was honored for his deep engagement in community lawyering and his distinguished record of public service.
López earned his B.A. from USC before attending Harvard Law School. He joined the faculty at UCLA more than 35 years ago. López is the founder of the Center for Community Problem Solving in New York City to address social, economic and legal problems of low-income, minority and immigrant communities. He founded the Lawyering for Social Change Program at Stanford Law School and is one of the core faculty members of UCLA's Critical Race Studies Program.
López is a champion of progressive and rebellious law. He has litigated extensively in civil and criminal matters before trial and appellate courts, as well at the U.S. Supreme Court. His books focus on community and include "Rebellious Lawyering," "Reentry Guide to New York City" and "A Fair and Just Workplace."
