Katyal received the prestigious award from Karen Korematsu during the 21st annual American Courage Awards reception
The Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) on Thursday presented their American Courage Award to Indian American civil liberties lawyer Neal Katyal, who filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump’s order on behalf of Hawaii State.
Katyal received the prestigious award from Karen Korematsu during the 21st annual American Courage Awards reception at the Capital Hilton in Washington, DC.
“The honor is for an individual who has shown extraordinary courage or commitment to civil rights. Katyal has argued more Supreme Court cases in U.S history than any other minority attorney, with the exception of Thurgood Marshall (with whom Neal is currently tied),” AAJC said in a press release on Wednesday.
“Neal’s prolific body of work includes defending the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act and defending the rule of law and due process in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld,” the statement read.
The 47-year-old Katyal, who was born in Chicago, is perhaps the most famous liberties lawyer in the United States. According to the National Law Journal, he has argued more Supreme Court cases than any other minority lawyer, except the legendary Thurgood Marshall, the first African American Supreme Court judge.
He is the Paul and Patricia Saunders Professor of National Security Law at the Georgetown University Law Center and was once considered for the US Supreme Court. Katyal also has few fans among conservative groups because of his past representation of Samir Hamdan, who was a bodyguard of Osama bin Laden. He won that landmark case.
The AAJC annual American Courage Awards is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate individuals, groups, and corporations for their commitment and contributions to civil rights.
The other honorees of 2017 are the Starbucks Coffee Company that won the Bridge Builder Award, Civil Rights Activist and Leader of Women’s March Linda Sarsour who won The Changemaker Award; and former member of the House of Representatives Michael M. Honda who won The President’s Award.
Emotional and inspiring moment: Karen Korematsu presenting the @AAAJ_AAJC American Courage Award to @neal_katyal pic.twitter.com/oRrjRNnv9O
— Deborah Wei (@dm_wei) October 6, 2017