Tulane Law School is launching a major new award that celebrates the leadership and impact of Robert L. Clayton, a leading attorney in the sports law field and an allum of the school.
The Deans Kramer & Clayton Award for Leadership in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion will be presented to Tulane Law alumni in recognition of exemplary impact in advancing the cause of access and inclusion in the legal profession. The award is named for John Kramer, who served as the 19th Dean of Tulane Law School from 1986 to 1996, and Clayton, who served as an Associate Dean and leader of an innovative and remarkably successful program at Tulane to recruit and mentor minority law students.
During the years of Dean Kramer and Clayton’s leadership, Tulane Law School boasted the highest representation of Black students of among U.S. law schools, excluding historically Black institutions. Many of those graduates have gone on to major leadership positions as judges, members of Congress, university presidents and scholars, civil rights and public interest advocates, and heads of law firms.
“Dean Clayton was one of the first teachers in Tulane’s legendary Sports Law Program and played a crucial leadership role in helping to recruit and mentor a generation of Tulane Law students who have gone on to careers of extraordinary leadership and impact in the sports world, as lawyers, agents, front-office executives, compliance leaders, athletic directors and more,” said the school’s current dean – David D. Meyer. “It is a privilege to honor his legacy as we celebrate the exceptional success of our alumni.”
