SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The San Diego Law Library Justice Foundation will present the Bernard E. Witkin Award for Excellence in Legal Education to Thomas Jefferson School of Law’s Professor William Slomanson on Thursday, October 8, 2015, at the San Diego County Law Library’s annual foundation dinner.
The Witkin Awards are presented annually to honor members of the San Diego legal community for “civic leadership and excellence in teaching, practice, enactment, or adjudication of the law.” Professor Slomanson was nominated by federal Judge Victor Bianchini, who has taught Evidence at Thomas Jefferson School of Law. Professor Slomanson will be introduced by federal judge Anthony Battaglia, who lectures each semester in the skills portion of Professor Slomanson’s civil procedure classes.
The Witkin Fund is used to purchase books and materials for the San Diego County Law Library. It memorializes the extraordinary life and writings of Bernard E. Witkin—who was well known for his multi-volume practitioners’ treatise on California procedure. Witkin was a Supreme Court clerk and Reporter of Decisions. He was also a prolific writer and lecturer, and an advocate for legal reform. Witkin’s impact on California law has been enormous. His treatises have been cited by the California Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal more than 20,000 times—a lasting tribute to his influence.
The Witkin Award Dinner helps to perpetuate new editions of his multi-volume and multi-edition California procedure treatise. The Law Library annually celebrates the achievements of prominent members of the legal community. Last year’s winner in the Excellence in Legal Education category was USD’s Dean Stephen C. Ferruolo. Bestowing this year’s legal educator award on Professor Slomanson is particularly fitting, given his scholarly record in Witkin’s field of California Civil Procedure.
The conferring of this prestigious award was based on Professor Slomanson’s following achievements: the approaching 2,000 citations to his scholarly work; 162 publications; 50 presentations or moderating assignments, for conferences at major venues around the world; 25 books that he has authored, co-authored, or edited; multiple editorships for US organizations and foreign peer-edited law journals; 11 annual teaching awards; officiating at the weddings of 9 Thomas Jefferson students and graduates; the 2015 Uncommon Individual Award, by the Uncommon Individual Foundation, for his pioneering work with blended print and electronic learning; and the Pristina University President’s Medal for Contributions to the University, where he is a Visiting Professor.
Upon hearing about this honor, Professor Slomanson commented that, “this award is especially meaningful, because I serve on an incredibly talented teaching faculty at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law—an institution which is also well-known for its scholarly output.” He also credits an extraordinarily patient wife, whom he describes as “doing 43-to-life at my place.”
For further Witkin event details, including the various awards, and ticketing information, visit www.sandiegolawlibraryfoundation.org, then click read more.
About Thomas Jefferson School of Law
Thomas Jefferson School of Law offers a comprehensive legal education to a nationally-based, diverse student body. The law school is consistently ranked as one of the most diverse law schools in the nation, with 52 percent of its most recent class being students of color. Located in Downtown San Diego, Thomas Jefferson Law has evolved into an innovative, cutting-edge law school, devoted to the individual needs and success of its students. More information is available at www.tjsl.edu.
