Law professor receives award for inspiring students

Professor Ann Hodges of the University of Richmond's T.C. Williams School of Law has won the 2014 Beckman Award, a national recognition for inspiring students to promote social change.

The $25,000 Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award recognizes “academic faculty who have inspired former students to dedicate their work to the betterment of their community,” according to a press release. Former students nominate professors for the award, and Hodges, who specializes in labor law, is one of ten professors who was selected this year.

“I find it particularly meaningful to be nominated by a former student, and for the fact that it is inspiring someone to do the kind of work that makes a difference in people’s lives,” Hodges said.

Victor Narro, who earned his law degree from Richmond in 1991, nominated Hodges for the award. Since graduating, Narro has gone on to fight for the rights of low-wage and undocumented workers in Los Angeles. Yet, Narro traces his success, in part, back to a labor law class he took from Hodges at Richmond.

“Ann taught me that behind every court decision were people struggling to win the fundamental rights for a better life, and how their struggles were interconnected with my journey as an advocate for justice where we would become one and the same,” Narro said in a press release.

“Victor has worked with the kind of workers that often don’t get respect, or even get paid – they get taken advantage of because they’re low-wage workers," Hodges said. "So the kind of work that he’s done to fight for these folks and try to make their lives better is really important. To know that he feels like I had some role in starting him on that path is very meaningful.”

Hodges has been a member of the law school’s faculty since 1988, but her passion for issues of workers’ rights and labor relations has endured since she was an undergraduate. She said she had pursued her interest through a master’s degree, and then worked at the National Labor Relations Board, which enforces labor laws in the United States.

“I loved what I was doing, but I felt that if I had a law degree I could do a lot more. So I went to law school to be a labor lawyer,” Hodges said.

Hodges said she saw the law as a means to achieve social justice. “Having work where you’re treated like a human being and that gives you dignity … that is so important in our society,” she said. “The law provides a wonderful tool and background for people as a way of making change.”

The Beckman Award is the latest achievement in Hodges’ remarkable career of galvanizing students to work toward their goals. “I try to spark [students’] interest, spark that passion. I like to see students in that 'Aha!' moment, and see them get excited about something and follow their heart,” she said.

The fight for labor relations in the U.S. has a storied history, but Hodges sees hope in fighting against the newest forms of labor discrimination that grab headlines. “It’s exciting to see traditional labor unions opening up and thinking about organizing workers they didn’t really think about organizing before – like immigrant workers and low-wage workers … I started in this area of law when people were marching in the streets, and there’s something really empowering about seeing them marching in the streets again.”

Hodges will receive her award at a ceremony in Atlanta in November.

Contact reporter Chase Brightwell at chase.brightwell@richmond.edu