October 19, 2011 —

Georgetown University Law Center has honored three distinguished alumni with its annual Robert F. Drinan, S.J., Law Alumni Public Service Award.  The award, which is named for Georgetown Law Professor Robert F. Drinan, S.J., recognizes Law Center alumni whose careers, like Fr. Drinan's, enhance human dignity and advance justice.  It was presented on October 15 during the Law Center's Reunion Weekend. Previous recipients  include John D. Podesta (class of 1976),
George J. Mitchell (class of 1961), Joan B. Claybrook (class of 1973), Gene B. Karpinski (class of 1977) and E. Clinton Bamberger, Jr. (class of 1951).

 

 

 

This year’s recipients of the Drinan Award:

 

Steny H. Hoyer  (Class of 1966)

                   
                     
                   
                 
                 

Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) has been U.S. Representative for Maryland's 5th congressional district since 1981 and was House majority leader from 2007 to 2011.  He served as House minority whip from 2003 to 2007 and was re-elected to that post in 2011.  As House democratic whip, he is the second-ranking member of the House Democratic leadership.  Now serving his 16th term in Congress, he is the highest-ranking and longest-serving member of the U.S. House of Representatives in Maryland history.

 

 

 

 

 

Joshua M. Kern  (Class of 2001)

 
   
 

Joshua M. Kern is co-founder and former executive director of Thurgood Marshall Academy, a law-themed, college-preparatory public charter high school located in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, D.C.  He initiated the effort that led to the creation of Thurgood Marshall Academy while attending Georgetown Law and serving, through the Law Center's D.C. Street Law clinic, as a teacher at Frank W. Ballou High School.  For the last three years, Thurgood Marshall has been the highest performing, open-enrollment public high school in the District of Columbia.

 

 

 

 

Malika Saada Saar  (Class of 2001)

 
   
 

Malika Saada Saar is founder and executive director of the Rebecca Project for Human Rights, a policy and advocacy organization that works to address issues of violence, exploitation and poverty impacting women and girls in the U.S. and Africa. She also started Crossing the River, a workshop for mothers in recovery from substance abuse and violence, and is the founder and former executive director of Family Rights and Dignity, a civil rights project for low income and homeless families in California. She was recognized by Newsweek as one of "150 Women Who Shake the World."