On Friday, February 25, the American Bar Foundation (ABF) will co-host the inaugural William Hubbard Conference on Law & Education in partnership with the University of South Carolina School of Law. This conference will be held at the School of Law in Columbia, South Carolina and will feature panelists from many sides of law and academia discussing the theme of “law, education and democracy.”
Led by a generous initial investment from ABF Philanthropist Fellow, William H. Neukom, the ABF established the William C. Hubbard Law & Education Conference Endowment in 2019. The endowment funds this inaugural Hubbard Conference as well as future events that recognize and disseminate innovative and significant research on law and education. Hubbard, a Leadership Fellow of the ABF, is a past President of the ABF and current Dean of the University of South Carolina School of Law. All conferences supported by this endowment will honor Hubbard’s lifelong contribution to the legal profession and his continued interest in law and education.
“This is an important event for scholars, and anyone interested in the role of law and education in supporting democracy,” said ABF Executive Director Ajay Mehrotra. “The ABF is proud to co-host this conference as part of the South Carolina Law Review’s annual symposium. William Hubbard has long been a leader of the profession and now the legal academy as a law school dean, and there is no better way to honor his lifelong passion for education than with this conference. Thank you to the University of South Carolina School of Law for partnering with us to host the inaugural conference. And, most importantly, thank you to the continuing generosity of Mr. William Neukom, whose initial investment has made this new conference series possible.”
Support for the Hubbard Conference Endowment is provided in part by a group of these top donors:
- Lead Investor – William H. Neukom
- Champions – David and Debra Houghton, Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Foundation
- Leaders – Michael Byowitz and Ruth Holzer, William and Kappy Hubbard, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, LLP, University of South Carolina School of Law
At a dinner the evening before the conference, American Bar Association President, Reggie Turner, will present the first-ever ABF Lifetime Achievement Award in Law and Education. This Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to former South Carolina Governor and former Secretary of Education Richard (Dick) W. Riley. With this award, the ABF wishes to recognize Mr. Riley’s lifelong leadership, commitment and passion for improving education in the United States and abroad.
“I am so pleased that Secretary Riley will be honored with the ABF’s Lifetime Achievement Award,” Dean William Hubbard said. “There is no more fitting occasion to present this award than at this inaugural conference on law and education. Secretary Riley has given unwavering leadership as South Carolina Governor and as secretary of education under President Clinton. He is truly an unrivaled ambassador for improving education, teaching, and opportunity for all. We are so proud to have this global leader and noble South Carolinian be honored in this way.”
“I am so pleased that Secretary Riley will be honored with the ABF’s Lifetime Achievement Award,” Dean William Hubbard said. “There is no more fitting occasion to present this award than at this inaugural conference on law and education. Secretary Riley has given unwavering leadership as South Carolina Governor and as secretary of education under President Clinton. He is truly an unrivaled ambassador for improving education, teaching, and opportunity for all. We are so proud to have this global leader and noble South Carolinian be honored in this way.”
Secretary Riley issued the following statement upon the announcement of being conferred this award by the ABF:
“I am so honored to have been selected for the American Bar Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement in Law and Education Award. I am particularly proud that the award encompasses my top lifetime passions—the law and education. It is a very personal pleasure that the award is to be presented at the inaugural William Hubbard Conference on Law and Education to be held at the University of South Carolina School of Law—the alma mater of myself and my very dear, longtime friend and former law partner, William Hubbard.”
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About the American Bar Foundation
The American Bar Foundation (ABF) is the world’s leading research institute for the empirical and interdisciplinary study of law. The ABF seeks to expand knowledge and advance justice through innovative, interdisciplinary, and rigorous empirical research on law, legal processes, and legal institutions. To further this mission the ABF will produce timely, cutting-edge research of the highest quality to inform and guide the legal profession, the academy, and society in the United States and internationally. The ABF’s primary funding is provided by the American Bar Endowment and the Fellows of The American Bar Foundation.
About William C. Hubbard
William C. Hubbard is the dean of the University of South Carolina School of Law. He spent his career as attorney and partner with Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP in Columbia, South Carolina where he practiced in business litigation. He is a Trustee of the University of South Carolina. Hubbard, a Leadership Fellow of the ABF, is past President of the ABF, the American Bar Association and the American Bar Endowment—and past Chair of the ABA House of Delegates. Hubbard is Chair of the Board of Directors of The World Justice Project, Member of the Council of the American Law Institute, Member of the American College of Trial Lawyers and Member of the Leaders Council of Legal Services Corporation. He is an Honorary Bencher of Middle Temple in London.