Catherine Smith Honored with SALT Human Rights Award The award from the Society of American Law Teachers recognizes the contributions of individuals or groups who are tireless advocates for human rights, equality, and justice.

By Law Communications
December 11, 2025

Catherine Smith, the Vincent Bradford Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University School of Law, will be awarded the M. Shanara Gilbert Human Rights Award on Thursday, January 8, 2026, during the annual meeting of the Association of American Law Schools.

The award from the Society of American Law Teachers (SALT) recognizes the contributions of individuals or groups who are tireless advocates for human rights, equality, and justice. Incoming SALT president Joe McKay described Professor Smith as a “fearless, powerful, and compassionate voice for society’s most vulnerable.”

“Through her groundbreaking scholarship, her advocacy before the nation’s highest courts, and her unwavering commitment to equality, she has transformed the way we understand the constitutional rights of children and marginalized communities,” said Professor McKay. “Like Professor Shanara Gilbert, she has used the law to confront injustice and expand human dignity. SALT is deeply honored to recognize her extraordinary contributions to human rights, justice, and social transformation by presenting her with this award.”

The award is named after a CUNY Law School professor who dedicated her life to the principles of human rights and justice and worked for social justice domestically and internationally. The Gilbert Award is not given annually and is only bestowed when an exceptional individual, group, or organization makes significant contributions that warrant recognition from the SALT community. Past honorees include the Hon. John Lewis, Sherrilyn Ifill, Bryan Stevenson, and the Hon. Barney Frank.

“I am delighted to see Professor Smith recognized with the M. Shanara Gilbert Human Rights Award for her tireless advocacy on behalf of children’s constitutional rights,” said Melanie Wilson, dean of W&L Law. “Catherine’s commitment to children’s rights through her scholarly work, amicus briefs, courtroom advocacy, exceptional and creative teaching, and other channels certainly advances justice and plays a role in ensuring a better tomorrow.”

Professor Smith teaches Torts, Children and the Law, and a seminar on Children and the Constitution.  She is also an award-winning scholar and prolific legal advocate. Her co-authored amicus brief on the rights of children of same-sex couples was cited and relied upon in the landmark same-sex marriage decision, Obergefell v. Hodges. In 2023, with the support of a $2.2 million anonymous gift, Professor Smith co-founded the Consortium for the Advancement of Children’s Constitutional Rights, now Rights4Children.

“It is an honor to be recognized by SALT with the M. Shanara Gilbert Human Rights Award,” said Professor Smith. “Our modern constitutional framework envisions an adult as the model rights-bearer. Yet, children bear the brunt of our nation’s inequalities. I look forward to continuing to work with colleagues and students to fill in the missing pages – in constitutional opinions, legal textbooks, and academic scholarship – that should prioritize young people’s rights and interests as the gateway to ‘human rights, equality, and justice.’”

Professor Smith served as an expert in two landmark youth-powered climate cases, Juliana v. United States and Navahine v. Hawaii Department of Transportation. She is currently a member of the legal team in Genesis v. the United States Equal Protection Agency (EPA), a case alleging the EPA discriminates against the 18-youth plaintiffs by discounting the economic value of their lives and their future (in comparison to adults) in its climate pollution calculus.  In 2024, the Duke Journal of Constitutional Law and Public Policy held a day-long symposium entitled, “Children’s Equality Law: Engaging the Work of Professor Catherine Smith.”

If you know a W&L faculty member who has done great, accolade-worthy things, tell us about them! Nominate them for an accolade.