Peace Prize Winner To Speak At Law School

The first Muslim woman and first Iranian to win the Nobel Peace Prize has been selected to be the commencement speaker for UConn's School of Law.

Dr. Shirin Ebadi, a strong advocate for women and children's rights, is scheduled to speak on May 20 in Hartford. She won the prize in 2003 for her work to promote democracy and human rights, specifically those of women and children, according to a news release issued from the Law School.

"The Law School has been pursuing human rights, which makes [Ebadi] especially attractive," said Michelle Helmin, the director of Communication for the Law School.

"The Law School is thrilled to have her as a speaker," Helmin said.

According to Helmin, Ebadi is the first Nobel Peace Prize recipient to speak at a UConn Law School commencement.

"We are delighted to welcome Dr. Ebadi as our keynote speaker for Commencement exercises," said Kurt A. Strasser, the interim dean for the University of Connecticut School of Law and Philip I. Blumberg, Professor of Law in the news release. "Our graduates will have the opportunity to hear directly from Dr. Ebadi about her work defending the rights of citizens and, in particular women and children, in her native country. She has overcome monumental challenges, including death threats by the government, to further the cause of allowing citizens of Iran basic human rights."

Ebadi routinely speaks internationally and is a very prominent lawyer. She earned her law degree from the University of Tehran, where she has also worked as a professor. She was also one of the first female judges in Iran, according to the news release.

Over the course of her career, Ebadi has published several books and journal articles, including History and Documentation of Human Rights in Iran, in 2000 and The Rights of the Child. A Study of Legal Aspects of Children's Rights in Iran, in 1994. In 2006, Ebadi published her memoir titled "Iran Awakening: A Memoir of Revolution and Hope."

"She is a wonderful role model for our graduates, and lawyers everywhere, showing by her life's work what lawyers can do to make their societies more just," Strasser said.

"After receiving my lawyer's license I accepted to defend many cases," Ebadi said in her autobiography posted on nobelprize.org. "Some were national cases. Among them, I represented the families of the serial murders victims … I also participated in some press-related cases. I took on a large number of social cases, too, including child abuse."

Edadi's work has caused the Iranian government to imprison her on several occasions, according to the news release.

Commencement speaker for UConn's Storrs campus May Graduation is scheduled to be announced next month, according to Karen Grava, UConn's director of Media Communications.

Last year's Commencement speaker for the UConn School of Law was Allyson K. Duncan of the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of appeals, according to Helmin.

This year just over 200 students are scheduled to graduate from the UConn School of Law. This figure includes both those obtaining their Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree and those obtaining their master's degree in law. According to the news release, this will be the Law School's 86th Commencement since it was founded in 1921 as the Hartford College of Law. The Hartford College of Law became part of the University of Connecticut in 1948.