Professor David Wilkins was honored twice in July by academic societies in Spain. Wilkins is the Lester Kissel Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, as well as the director of the Program on the Legal Profession and Vice Dean for Global Initiatives on the Legal Profession.
In Barcelona on July 8, the Board of the Reial Academia de Doctors named Wilkins a Corresponding Academic for the United States of America. RAD is the Spanish equivalent of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, of which Wilkins is also a member.
Two days later, in Madrid, ESADE Law School recognized Wilkins with its APTISSIMI Award for Academic Excellence, an annual award presented by its Alumni Law Club. “For us it is an honor to reward a professional of your stature, with such a long and brilliant career,” wrote Miguel Trias, president of ESADE Alumni in recognizing Wilkins. The awards banquet in Madrid has become an annual highlight among Spain’s leading lawyers, an ESADE release said, attended by more than 300 lawyers who work at Spanish law firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies, and as judges and magistrates.
At Harvard Law School, Wilkins directs the Program on the Legal Profession, which seeks to increase the understanding of the global legal profession. PLP’s mission is to conduct world-class empirical research on the profession; develop innovative methods of teaching law students and lawyers; and to build meaningful connections between legal practitioners and academics around the world.
“These two prestigious awards are a wonderful recognition of the importance of PLP’s work on the global stage,” Wilkins said. “I am honored by this recognition, and look forward to working closely with the distinguished academics in RAD and ESADE Law School as we continue to explore the critical issues reshaping the global legal services market.”