November 7, 1997

Law professor receives Medal of Honor

Associate law professor William P. Quigley received the Mayor's 1997 Medal of Honor. Sponsored by New Orleans Mayor Marc H. Morial, the award is presented to individuals who continually make outstanding contributions to the city of New Orleans, who have distinguished themselves in a particular field or endeavor, and have promoted understanding among people of different races, religions, and economic backgrounds. Quigley was among six recipients of the Medal of Honor.

Often a champion of causes for the elderly, the poor, and the disenfranchised, Quigley has gained prominence as the voice of the voiceless. A graduate of Loyola University School of Law, Quigley began his career in 1977 as a staff attorney for the New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation. Later, in private practice, he specialized in constitutional and civil rights litigation. In January 1990, he joined Loyola's faculty where his desire to serve the less advantaged led him to direct the Gillis Long Poverty Law Center and the Loyola Law Clinic.

For his dedicated service to the city and its most vulnerable citizens, Quigley has been recognized with other prestigious awards. Among them are the Hunger Awareness Award by Bread for the World, the "M.L. King Drum Major for Justice Award," the NAACP's "Community Service Award," ACLU's "Ben Smith Civil Liberties Award," and the Urban League's "Whitney Young Award." The New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation named its first annual award for outstanding staff attorney the "William P. Quigley Award" in 1992. Sunny Eisenhower, in her nomination letter, described Quigley as "a lawyer, a teacher, a Christian, and a family man" who after practicing law for 20 years is "still imbued with a passionate sense of mission and optimism."

On his most recent recognition, Quigley said, "While I am deeply honored to accept this award, I know it is not mine alone. If it were not for the good people in the St. Thomas Housing Development, good people in Plaquemines Parish, good people at Loyola, my family, and groups like the ACLU and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, I know I would not receive this award. I worked with them in team efforts for justice. Therefore, I also accept this award on their behalf."

Under Quigley's leadership, the Loyola Law Clinic has become a major skills training component of Loyola's law school. Working under the supervision of attorneys, students represent the city's poor, elderly, and homeless in civil and criminal cases.

- Angela Anthony