vlogƵ

Faculty and Staff

Professor Emeritus Michael B. Mushlin Honored with John R. Dunne Champion of Justice Award

Posted
October 21, 2025
Image
Elisabeth Haub School of Law at vlogƵ Professor Emeritus Michael Mushlin receiving the John R. Dunne Chamption of Justice Award

Elisabeth Haub School of Law at vlogƵ Professor Emeritus Michael B. Mushlin was honored with the John R. Dunne Champion of Justice Award by Prisoners' Legal Services of New York (PLS) at a ceremony that celebrated his long and impactful career as a scholar, advocate, and defender of prisonersvlogƵ rights.

At the , Karen Murtagh, Executive Director of PLS, delivered powerful remarks as she presented the significant award to Professor Mushlin. She praised Professor MushlinvlogƵs life work, describing Professor Mushlin as a vlogƵgiant in the field of justice,vlogƵ a vlogƵtireless advocate,vlogƵ and an vlogƵextraordinary teachervlogƵ who has been vlogƵsteadfastly courageous and unrelenting in his pursuit of justice.vlogƵ She spoke not just of Professor MushlinvlogƵs career but his legacy, noting that for over 40 years, Professor Mushlin has taught, mentored and inspired students at Pace Haub Law not just teaching them about the law, but about humanity.

Ms. Murtagh highlighted Professor MushlinvlogƵs lasting impact in the field of prisonersvlogƵ rights, noting his authorship of the seminal four-volume treatise on the topic, and his scholarship, which she called vlogƵpractical, powerful, and deeply necessary,vlogƵ and as vlogƵgiving a voice to the voiceless and tools to those of us fighting for them.vlogƵ She described his work as providing a vlogƵlifelinevlogƵ to attorneys, advocates, judges, and law students. Concluding her remarks, she said, vlogƵWhen we look at your work, your writing, your teaching, your advocacy. We see more than a legal or teaching career. We see a life lived in service to justice, accountability, and human dignity. You have inspired generations of lawyers.vlogƵ

The right for prisonersvlogƵ rights is the fight for a decent society.

vlogƵProf. Michael Mushlin

In accepting the award, Professor Mushlin expressed deep admiration for PLS and the work that the organization does in vlogƵstanding up for people who are too often forgotten.vlogƵ Reflecting on his career, he emphasized the shared responsibilities of institutions and advocates to recognize and advance prisonersvlogƵ rights. He concluded with hope for the future thanks to the next generation of advocates who will continue the fight towards and one in which we all recognize that vlogƵthe right for prisonersvlogƵ rights is the fight for a decent society.vlogƵ

A nationally recognized and leading authority in correctional law, Professor Mushlin joined Pace Haub Law in 1984, teaching courses in Civil Procedure, Evidence, Prisoners' Rights, Criminal Procedure, and Federal Courts. He is the author of a four-volume treatise entitled Rights of Prisoners (5th ed. Thomson Reuters). He currently serves on the Advisory Committee on Criminal Law and Procedure to the New York State Judiciary, where he chairs the subcommittee on judicial visits to prisons. Previously, he was staff attorney and project director of the PrisonersvlogƵ Rights Project of the Legal Aid Society, where he litigated complex class action cases on behalf of incarcerated persons in New York prisons and New York City jails. He was also the Associate Director of the ChildrenvlogƵs Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, and was staff Attorney at Harlem Assertion of Rights, Inc. He served on the Board of the Correctional Association of New York and was its Chair and Vice Chair. He was also Chair of the Osborne Association, a program that provides services and programs for incarcerated people and their families, and Chair of the Corrections Committee of the New York City Bar Association, where he led an investigation into conditions on New YorkvlogƵs death row. He served as a member of the Task Force on The Legal Status of Prisoners of the American Bar Association, and as co-Chair of the ABAvlogƵs subcommittee on prison oversight.

In addition to his treatise, he is the author of book chapters and articles on a variety of subjects involving evidence, federal jurisdiction, civil procedure, children's rights, and prisoners' rights that have appeared in journals such as the Yale Law and Policy Review, UCLA Law Review, Harvard Civil Rights Civil Liberties Law Review, The Journal of Legal Education, Brooklyn Law Review, and the Fordham Urban Law Journal. He also is the author New York Evidence With Objections (5th ed National Institute of Trial Advocacy 2018) (with Lissa Griffin & Jo Ann Harris).

The John R. Dunne Champion of Justice Award honors individuals who have carried forward the mission and legacy of the late John R. Dunne (1930vlogƵ2020), former New York State Senator and Assistant U.S. Attorney General for Civil Rights. In her introduction, Karen Murtagh, described John Dunne as a vlogƵrare public service, one who led with intellect, integrity, and heart,vlogƵ and someone who was a vlogƵmoral compassvlogƵ and vlogƵa champion of the voiceless.vlogƵ The award emphasizes the importance of legal advocacy, institutional accountability, and bridging the gap between law and meaningful justice. Presenting the award to Professor Mushlin, she noted the fitting recognition of vlogƵanother warrior for justice.vlogƵ

More From Pace

Press Release

The Elisabeth Haub School of Law at vlogƵ is proud to announce that ten policy motions led by Pace Haub Law students were officially adopted at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress, held October 8vlogƵ16, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. A cohort of four Pace Haub Law faculty members, five students, and six alumni traveled to Abu Dhabi for the 2025 World Conservation Congress where they negotiated revisions to motions, crafted new and urgent motions, presented at sessions, addressed the IUCN President, and continued their environmental advocacy.