Professor David B. Cruz will speak on “Marriage Rights” at the Spring 2005 Social Justice Diversity Lecture. Professor Cruz is noted for work that advances critical thought in the field of sexual orientation law and public policy. A reception will follow his lecture at 5 p.m. in the Strong Commons room of Bergin Hall.
David Cruz is Professor of Law at the University of Southern California Law School where he teaches courses in constitutional law, federal courts, and law and identity.
His primary areas of scholarship and practice are constitutional law and sex, gender, and sexual orientation, with a particular emphasis on legal recognition of same-sex relationships. In addition to his numerous articles and book contributions, Professor Cruz co-authored an amicus brief for the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts in Goodridge v. Department of Health, the case that required that state to allow same-sex couples to marry. He is the current Chair of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues Section of the Association of American Law Schools.
Prior to joining the USC faculty, Professor Cruz clerked for the Hon. Edward R. Becker of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and was a Bristow Fellow in the Office of the Solicitor General of the United States.
He holds a B.S. in mathematics, summa cum laude, and a B.A. in drama, summa cum laude, from the University of California at Irvine; an M.S. in Mathematics from Stanford University; and a J.D. from New York University School of Law where he was a Root Tilden Snow Scholar. Among his many academic distinctions are Managing Editor, New York University Law Review and the Paul D. Kaufman Memorial Award, which recognizes the law note of outstanding excellence published in the New York University Law Review.
Professor Cruz’s Diversity Lecture is co-sponsored by The Center for Social Justice and Public Service, BGLAd, Women in Law, La Raza and the Public Interest and Social Justice Coalition.
The lecture has been approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) credit by the State Bar of California in the amount of one hour. Santa Clara University School of Law certifies that this activity conforms to the standards for approved education activities prescribed by the rules and regulations of the State Bar of California governing minimum continuing legal education.
