Mari Matsuda facts for kids
Mari J. Matsuda (born in 1956) is an American lawyer, activist, and law professor. She teaches at the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She made history as the first tenured female Asian American law professor in the United States. This happened at the UCLA School of Law in 1998. She is also a leading voice in a field called critical race theory. This field looks at how race and racism affect laws and society. Professor Matsuda returned to the University of Hawaiʻi in 2008. Before that, she taught at UCLA and Georgetown University Law Center. She taught subjects like torts (which are civil wrongs), constitutional law, and civil rights law.
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Education and Early Steps
Mari Matsuda finished high school at Roosevelt High School in Hawaii. She earned her first college degree, a Bachelor of Arts, from Arizona State University. She then got her law degree, a Juris Doctor, from the William S. Richardson School of Law. Later, she earned another advanced law degree, an LL.M., from Harvard Law School. Early in her career, she worked at a law firm in Honolulu. She also served as a law clerk for Judge Herbert Young Cho Choy. He was a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
A Career of Firsts
In 1998, Mari Matsuda became the first tenured female Asian American law professor in the United States. This was a big step for diversity in legal education. She achieved this at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law. Before joining UCLA, she taught law for eight years at the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law. There, she taught about American legal history, civil wrongs, and civil rights.
Professor Matsuda has also taught at other famous universities. These include Stanford Law School and Hiroshima University in Japan. She has also helped train judges in places like Micronesia and South Africa. She calls herself an "activist scholar." This means she uses her knowledge to work for social change. Her writings are very important in the legal world. She has written articles for both academic journals and popular magazines like Ms. Magazine.
Leading the Way in Critical Race Theory
Mari Matsuda is a key figure in critical race theory. This area of study examines how race and racism have shaped legal systems and society. She has written about important topics like reparations and affirmative action. Reparations are about making amends for past wrongs, like slavery. Affirmative action involves policies designed to help groups that have faced discrimination. Her work on these topics is often studied and discussed by other legal experts.
Sharing Her Knowledge
Professor Matsuda is a popular speaker at universities. She has given many keynote speeches. She also served on a special task force for Chevron-Texaco. This group worked on equality and fairness issues. In 2002, she helped write their final report. In 2003, she received the Society of American Law Teachers Human Rights Award. This award recognized her work for human rights.
She continues to advise on judicial training in different countries. Her work has even been mentioned in state supreme court decisions. Mari Matsuda believes that her community work, teaching, and research are all connected. She serves on advisory boards for groups that work for social justice. These include the ACLU and the National Asian Pacific Legal Consortium. She was also recognized by A. Magazine as one of the 100 most influential Asian Americans. This was for her work on important cases, like one involving accent discrimination.
Judge Richard Posner, a well-known legal scholar, believes Mari Matsuda is one of the scholars who will have a lasting impact.
Awards and Recognitions
- AALDEF Justice in Action award, 2014
- Regents Medal for Excellence in Teaching, 2016
About Her Family
Mari Matsuda is of Okinawan ancestry.
