UofL to award Brandeis Medal to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville’s Brandeis School of Law will bestow the 2016 Brandeis Medal on U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan.

The medal is the law school’s highest honor and is awarded to people who champion the ideals of individual liberty, concern for the disadvantaged and public service. The award is a tribute to Louis D. Brandeis, a former U.S. Supreme Court justice from Louisville and namesake of the university's law school.

Kagan’s appointment to the high court by President Barack Obama was confirmed by the Senate in 2010 to replace Justice John Paul Stevens. She is the youngest sitting justice and her resume includes legal counsel and advisor to President Bill Clinton, Harvard Law School’s first female dean and the nation’s first female solicitor general. Kagan is the court's 112th justice and fourth female justice.

“It’s an honor to confer this award on Justice Kagan,” said law school Dean Susan Duncan. “In addition to tracing her seat on the Supreme Court to Justice Brandeis, her work in the areas of individual freedoms, equal opportunity and human rights reflects his life’s values. She’s also a great role model for our students because of her well-deserved reputation as a brilliant legal scholar and writer.”

Kagan will receive the medal Sept. 15 at a public event that starts at 6 p.m. in the ballroom of the Seelbach Hilton Hotel, 500 S. Fourth St. The cost is $100 per person. Registration is available until Sept. 12 at www.louisville.edu/law/events/register.

Earlier in the day, at noon, Kagan will visit the front entrance of the law school and take part in a wreath-laying ceremony on the grave of Justice Brandeis. The ceremony is a tradition carried out for each Brandeis Medal recipient and whenever a Supreme Court justice visits the school.

For more information, contact Tracie Cole at 502-852-1230.

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