NIU Law Honors Janet Reno with Public Interest Award
Former United States Attorney General will be presented with the inaugural award on February 9 in Miami
January 16, 2007
DeKalb, Ill. – Northern Illinois University College of Law is pleased to announce that Janet Reno, former United States Attorney General, has been selected as the first recipient of the distinguished NIU Law Public Interest Award.
This inaugural award was established to honor exceptional law professionals who have made outstanding career achievements and for their devotion to the public good. She was nominated for the distinction by Nancy Blount, a 1979 NIU Law alumna who worked with Reno during Reno’s tenure as the State’s Attorney for Dade County, Fla. Blount was as an assistant state’s attorney and Division Chief of Child Support Enforcement from 1988 until 2003.
NIU Law will present former Attorney General Reno with the award on Friday, February 9 at its reception held during the American Bar Association’s Mid-Year Meeting in Miami. The event begins at 6 p.m. in the Hibiscus Isle Room at the Hotel InterContinental located 100 Chopin Plaza in Miami.
"It is a privilege to honor Attorney General Reno with this inaugural award, the NIU Law Public Interest Award. In addition to honoring her notable career, we also recognize her determination to overcome various obstacles in order to uphold the rule of law," remarked NIU Law Dean LeRoy Pernell. "Public interest is paramount to the fundamental mission of NIU Law to produce graduates imbued with a great sense of public service and responsibility, and the former Attorney General’s accomplishments reflect those values."
Nominated by President Bill Clinton, Reno made history as the first female Attorney General of the United States. She held the position from March 1993 until January 2001, making her the longest-serving attorney general. Prior to her tenure as Attorney General, Reno had also broken gender barriers as the first female State’s Attorney in Florida where she served in Dade County from 1978 until 1993.
Some of her notable accomplishments as a public official include revising the Florida juvenile justice system, establishing the Miami Drug Court, and pursuing delinquent fathers for child support payments. As the United States Attorney General, Reno was charged with overseeing such high-profile federal cases as the Unabomber and Oklahoma City bombing.
Currently retired as a public official, Reno continues her role as a public interest advocate. Today she tours the country as a lecturer addressing reforms needed in the criminal justice system, with particular focus on improving juvenile courts.
NIU Law cordially welcomes alumni, friends, members of the American Bar Association, and members of the Florida legal community to attend the reception. Please RSVP to NIU Law at lawevents@niu.edu or (815) 753-9655.
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The only public law school in the greater Chicago area, NIU Law has previously been ranked first in the nation for government placement, according to U.S. News and World Report. Nearly one-third of its graduates choose a career in public interest, including more than 50 alumni in the judiciary -- a remarkable accomplishment for a law school with less than 3,000 graduates. In addition, NIU Law has received the Pro Bono Public Law School Award from the Pro Bono Students of America, as well as the Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Interest Service Award from the United State’s District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and the Chicago Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.
For more information, contact:
Melody Mitchell
Director, Alumni Events & Public Relations
(815) 753-9655
mmitchell@niu.edu