The National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild has named Barbara Hines, director of the Immigration Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law, the recipient of its Carol Weiss King Award for excellence in the pursuit of social justice through organizing, litigating and teaching.
The National Immigration Project provides legal assistance and other technical support to immigrant communities, legal practitioners and advocates working to advance the rights of noncitizens.
Hines, recognized for her outstanding contributions to immigrant rights, received the award on Sept. 25 at the annual National Lawyers Guild convention at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans.
“Our entire law school community congratulates Barbara Hines, the founder and decade-long director of our immigration law clinic,” Law School Dean Larry Sager said. “Her vision, talent and hard work have advanced the cause of justice and improved the lives of a legion of people who turned to the clinic for help.”
In nominating Hines for this award, her colleagues and former students wrote: “Few of us can aspire to having such an ambitious career that includes community education and organizing, litigation and teaching. Barbara has excelled in all of those areas and continues to be an inspiration to us to all.”
Hines was a two-time Fulbright scholar in Argentina, where she researched Argentine immigration law and taught U.S. immigration law. She was the first co-director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law of Texas, Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project, and is a member of the board of directors of the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild. She has litigated extensively in federal and immigration courts on the constitutional and statutory rights of immigrants. Hines frequently lectures and writes on immigration law, and is the recipient of numerous awards for excellence in her work.
Prominent U.S. lawyer Carol Weiss King (1895-1952) specialized in immigration law and the defense of the civil rights of immigrants. She was also a founding member of the National Lawyers Guild.
