Professor Marcosson receives Ally Award from LGBT Center

On Oct. 1, Brandeis School of Law Professor Sam Marcosson received the Ally Award from the University of Louisville's LGBT Center during the Pride Week Keynote Address.

The award honors those who work alongside the LGBT students every day to dismantle homophobia and prejudice.

Marcosson has been a faculty member since 1996, and in that time founded one of the university’s first LGBT student groups, the Lambda Law Caucus. His research and writing has concentrated on constitutional law (especially the Fourteenth Amendment), and the civil rights issues facing LGBT people. He has served on the board of directors of the National Lesbian and Gay Legal Association and currently serves on the Co­ordinating Committee of the Fairness Campaign, Louisville’s long-standing LGBT civil rights organization.

Former student Rebecca O’Neil submitted one of multiple nominations for her former professor:

“Sometimes I think Sam is unaware of his own incredible impact on students. I think he doesn't know how to be anything other than the brilliant, caring, wildly intelligent teacher that he is. He is not in academia because it is a comfortable or status career - he does what he does because he truly believes in his students and their ability to make our community and our country a better place.”

"The nominating letters from past students were beautiful and confirmed what we all know here: How lucky we are to have Sam as part of our community," said Dean Susan Duncan.

Marcosson was surprised to be honored. “I am so grateful, and flattered, to receive the Ally Award.  As a teacher, my reward comes in seeing the work our students do when they put their training and talents to use to make a difference."

The LGBT Center introduced the award in 2008 to honor the work of faculty and staff who have helped create an environment of inclusion for LGBT people. Candidates for the award can include any UofL faculty or staff member — LGBT, straight/cisgender, questioning, or those whose orientation/gender identity is unknown — who is making positive decisions and speaking for LGBT people at U of L.