Suzette M. Malveaux, the Moses Lasky Professor of Law and Director of the Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law at the University of Colorado Law School, has been honored with the 2024 Outstanding Service Award from the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation (ABF). Malveaux will be recognized during the 68th Annual Fellows Awards Reception and Banquet, which will be held in Louisville on February 3.
The ABF Fellows Outstanding Service Award is given to an individual who has, in their professional career, adhered to the highest principles and traditions of the legal profession and to the service of the public. This year, the ABF recognizes Malveaux, an ABF Fellow, for her outstanding commitment to civil rights and access to justice in every phase of her career.
“We are honored to recognize Suzette Malveaux, one of the premier access to justice scholars and advocates in the country, with this award,” said ABF Fellows National Chair Laura V. Farber. “Over the course of her career, she has contributed tremendously to the public conversation and scholarship on the crucial topics of civil rights and civil procedural justice. Suzette Malveaux is highly regarded by fellow scholars, lawyers, and students alike and has undoubtedly earned this well-deserved recognition.”
Malveaux was a civil rights attorney and class action specialist prior to joining the academy. For six years, she served as pro bono counsel for the plaintiffs in Alexander v. State of Oklahoma, the constitutional lawsuit filed against Tulsa by victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. As co-counsel, she represented the victims before the U.S. federal courts, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the U.S. House of Representatives. Malveaux also represented over 1.5 million women alleging gender discrimination against Wal-Mart, the largest employment discrimination case to date.
Malveaux is a member of the American Law Institute and former Chair of the American Association of Law Schools Civil Procedure Section. She has taught civil procedure, complex litigation, employment discrimination, civil rights, and constitutional law for over two decades. Her scholarship explores the intersection of civil rights and civil procedure and access to justice issues. She is coeditor of A Guide to Civil Procedure; Integrating Critical Legal Perspectives (NYU Press, 2022) and coauthor of Class Actions and Other Multi-Party Litigation; Cases and Materials (West, 2006, 2012). Her work has been published in top law reviews, entered into the Congressional record, and cited by judges.
“I am so grateful to receive this extraordinary honor,” said Malveaux. “Thank you to the ABF for recognizing my work and commitment to social justice. Throughout my legal career—whether as a civil rights lawyer, law professor or scholar—my goal has been to promote justice and empower others. It brings me deep joy to do this work. I look forward to celebrating with the ABF community and to continuing this journey together.”