Law School Honors 2014 MacArthur Genius Fellow

ATLANTA - Dec. 15, 2014 - PRLog -- Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) and Dean Malcolm L. Morris, hosted an event honoring Professor Jonathan Rapping, Director of the Honors Program in Criminal Justice and Founder of Gideon’s Promise, for being named a 2014 MacArthur Foundation Genius Fellow. The event took place on November 18, 2014 at the Blackburn Conference Center.

On September 17, 2014 the MacArthur Foundation recognized Rapping’s work by naming him a 2014 MacArthur Genius Fellow. The law school’s recent event celebrated the prestigious honor and Professor Rapping’s embodiment of the law school’s mission and goal to promote the continuous development of a law faculty dedicated to achieving the highest standards of classroom teaching, scholarship that informs their teaching, and service to the community.

During the private reception, food and drinks were served as the attendees were given an opportunity to meet and greet one another.

Professor Rapping opened his remarks by thanking everyone in attendance for supporting his work. Next, he summarized a series of events that helped to shape his outlook of the legal profession. Before introducing Gideon’s Army to the audience, Rapping reflected on how the HBO documentary film became a reality.

Rapping stated,

“I remember being a law student, wanting to be a public defender and having these lofty ideas. Abstract ideas like due process, equal access and fairness. So I became a public defender and learned that the work really was not about philosophical principles; it is about people.

My career as a lawyer is a collection of stories that underscores the reality that if you are poor and find yourself in the criminal justice system, you are treated as less than human. We treat poor people in ways that we would not tolerate for our loved ones. So in 2007, with the help of AJMLS, my wife and I started Gideon’s Promise.

The idea was not just to train lawyers to be good at the law, but to teach lawyers values that our system has forgotten. What started with two offices and 16 lawyers in 2007 has grown into over 300 lawyers in over 35 offices across 15 states; who are collectively raising the bar and changing the way we think of justice.

Gideon’s Promise is possible not just because of my work but because of the work of so many people.”

In addition to a number of AJMLS students, faculty and staff; the event was also attended by several individuals from Georgia's legal community.

Dean of the law school, Malcolm L Morris, had this to say about Rapping’s accomplishments, “This is a momentous honor and his dedication should serve as an inspiration to us all.”

About AJMLS

Founded in 1933 and fully accredited by the American Bar Association, Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) is Atlanta’s only stand-alone law school focused on preparing talented students for legal careers in the public and private sectors. AJMLS students matriculate in a learning environment that includes exceptional faculty, accelerated externships and intelligent learning collaboration.

AJMLS academic programs consist of a Juris Doctor Program, J.D., including Full-Time, Accelerated (January Start), Part-Time Day and Part-Time Evening programs; as well as an Honors Program in Criminal Justice and three LL.M. programs for U.S and foreign educated attorneys. AJMLS serves as a strategic resource for legal talent for small, mid-size and large law firms, corporations and public service organizations throughout the country. For more information about AJMLS, please visit us at http://www.johnmarshall.edu.