The Katharine & George Alexander Law Prize

The first Katharine & George Alexander Law Prize was presented in March 2008 and will be awarded annually thereafter. This award has been made possible through the generosity of Katharine & George Alexander to bring recognition to lawyers who have used their legal careers to help alleviate injustice and inequity. The hope is that recognition of such individuals will improve the image of lawyers around the world.

The winner receives a substantial cash award to be used as the individual chooses. The winner will be brought to Santa Clara University to be honored at a ceremony in March. The winner will also be invited to participate in lectures and classes and may choose to serve as a teacher, mentor and scholar for a limited period at Santa Clara Law.

Register Online
(Pre-registration is required; admission is complimentary.)

Attorney with The Center for Justice & Accountability (CJA) a not-for-profit human rights law firm based in San Francisco. Ms. Bernabeu is the lead prosecutor who brought charges against Salvadoran officials for the massacre of Jesuit priests in 1989.

Ms. Bernabeu leads CJA’s Latin America and Transitional Justice Programs. In this capacity, she assists with civil Alien Tort Statute litigation against human rights abusers found in the United States. Ms. Bernabeu has contributed to a number of cases involving Latin America, including cases against human rights abusers from El Salvador, Colombia, and Peru. Ms. Bernabeu also serves as the lead private prosecutor on two human rights cases before the Spanish National Courts. The first case was filed on behalf of survivors of the Guatemalan Genocide and includes Nobel laureate Rigoberta Menchú Tum. The other was brought against senior Salvadoran officials for the massacre of Jesuit priests in 1989.

Prior to joining CJA, Ms. Bernabeu worked with two non-governmental organizations affiliated with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees on asylum and refugee cases focusing on clients from Latin America, North and Central Africa, and the Balkans. She also worked pro bono for Amnesty International—Spain and served as an investigator for the European Court for Human Rights, which is based in Strasbourg, France. Ms. Bernabeu was recently elected vice-president of the Spanish Association for Human Rights. She also serves as a board member at a U.S.-based Human Rights organization, the Equatorial Guinea Justice. She is a member of the advisory board of the Peruvian Institute of Forensic Anthropology (EPAF), which provides evidence on violations for human rights investigations and prosecutions.

Read more about Almudena Bernabeu...

Audio interview with Ms. Bernabeu about bringing justice to victims of the Guatemalan genocide

View photos of Almudena Bernabeu and the 2012 Alexander Law Prize Ceremony

Katharine & George Alexander

Katharine Alexander practiced law for 25 years as a public defender for Santa Clara County and taught law courses for several years at San Jose State University.

George Alexander is dean emeritus and served as professor of law at Santa Clara University for 34 years and as dean of its School of Law for 15 years.

Both Katharine and George have dedicated their lives to instilling in students and lawyers a commitment to justice. Their service to humanity serves as a model for other lawyers.

Selection Committee

Cynthia Mertens
Professor of Law, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Santa Clara Law

Donald Polden
Dean and Professor of Law, Santa Clara Law

Alan Scheflin
Professor of Law, Santa Clara Law

Gerald Uelmen
Professor of Law, Santa Clara Law; Director, Edwin A. Heafey Jr. Center for Trial and Appellate Advocacy

Beth Van Schaack
Associate Professor of Law, Santa Clara Law

Nominees must be lawyers who have used their skill, knowledge and abilities in the field of law to correct injustice. The nominees must be individuals who are committed in both heart and mind to alleviating injustice and inequity.

Selection criteria may include factors such as the:

• Innovative nature of the programs or other activities undertaken
• Courage and self-sacrifice required
• Sustainability of the programs the nominee has implemented
• Number of people benefited

Nomination Form