Inaugural Duke Law Faculty Awards
Adler, Rich, Foster, and Grant were nominated by their peers for excellence in scholarship, teaching, institutional service, and community engagement.
Professors Matthew Adler, Rebecca Rich, Andrew Foster, and Crystal Grant were honored in December as the inaugural recipients of the Duke Law Faculty Awards.
Dean Kerry Abrams and Professor Neil Siegel, who served as associate dean for intellectual life from 2023-24, established the awards to publicly recognize faculty excellence and celebrate extraordinary contributions of Duke Law faculty in scholarship, teaching, institution building, and professional service. Recipients were nominated by their peers and selected by a faculty committee.
“I’m proud to announce the inauguration of this new set of awards that reflect such an impressive range of faculty achievement,” said Abrams. “In a faculty of superstars, these professors stand out.” — Hayley Foran
Matthew Adler: Excellence in Scholarly Research
Matthew Adler, the Richard A. Horvitz Distinguished Professor of Law and professor of economics, philosophy, and public policy, received the award for Excellence in Scholarly Research.
Adler is one of the leading proponents of prioritarianism, an ethical theory that the well-being of the worse off merits extra weight in the moral calculus.
His highly interdisciplinary work applies this theory, a refinement of utilitarianism, to the evaluation of government policies in areas including taxation, health care, risk regulation, education, climate change, and pandemic response, and Adler is a contributor to significant scholarly conversations across the academy, as well as in internal workshops and events at the Law School.
Rebecca Rich: Excellence in Teaching and Learning
Rebecca Rich ‘06, clinical professor of law and assistant director of legal writing, was honored for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rich’s leadership of the Teaching and Learning Committee helped the entire Law School pivot to a completely new way of teaching as she invested countless hours in organizing resources and thinking about how to best accommodate a faculty with diverse needs and desires.
An exemplary teacher who received the student-voted Distinguished Teaching Award in 2020, Rich is also noted for her connection with students, balancing a sensitivity toward those experiencing adverse circumstances while also maintaining high standards for student work.
Andrew Foster: Excellence in Institutional Service
Andrew Foster, the Kathrine Robinson Everett Clinical Professor and founding director of the Community Enterprise Clinic, received the award for Excellence in Institutional Service. During Foster’s 15 year tenure as director of Experiential Education and Clinical Programs, Duke Law’s clinical program expanded from three courses to 11 (now 12) and the number of clinical faculty members quadrupled. He also led the creation of the Law & Entrepreneurship Program and served as its inaugural director.
Among many other contributions to the Law School, Foster chairs two faculty committees and has helped implement revisions to rules on security of position for full-time, non-tenure track faculty, leading to new processes that facilitate the mentoring of junior faculty.
Crystal Grant: Excellence in Community and Public Service
Crystal Grant, associate clinical professor and director of the Children’s Law Clinic, was presented with the award for Excellence in Community and Public Service.
A social worker and attorney, Grant has broadened the clinic’s community partnerships and added a social work intern to consult on cases with Duke Law students. The new focus on interprofessional practice allows the clinic to assist families with vital non-legal needs such as applying for public benefits and accessing community services, and gives students experience in communicating and collaborating with other professionals.
In addition to her teaching and advocacy, Grant is also a leader in promoting and supporting the development of clinical legal education, both at the national level and within the Law School.
