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Sidney Watson Honored with Inaugural Award for Excellence in Scholarship Mentoring

Sidney Watson, the Jane and Bruce Robert Professor of Law and Scholar in Residence in the Center for Health Law Studies received the inaugural award for excellence in mentoring and supporting legal scholarship from the American Association for Law School’s (AALS) Section on Scholarship.

Nominated by a group of her peers across institutions, Watson was recognized for her leadership in the field of health law studies and her dedication to mentoring young scholars through the long-standing Health Law Scholars Workshop. The workshop is a collegial forum in which young health law and bioethics scholars present works in progress and receive in-depth advice and critique from experienced scholars and teachers in the field. Watson has been a pillar of the program since its inception over 24 years ago.

Sidney Watson holds her award with a group of health law professors at the annual AALS meetin

Professor Sidney Watson, center, is joined by fellow health law professors after receiving her award at the annual AALS meeting.

“Sidney’s mentoring and support of colleague’s scholarship doesn’t begin or end with their selection for the workshop,” said Medha Makhlouf, the Elsie de R. and Samuel P. Orlando Distinguished Professor at Penn State University Dickinson School of Law and one of Watson’s nominators. “So many of the group of nominators said that Sidney was among the first three people they contact for advice or feedback. I truly don’t understand how she supports so many of us.”

During the award ceremony held at the Section on Scholarship’s meeting at the AALS annual meeting, Watson was also recognized for her own contributions of scholarship in the field of health law.

“I think Sidney’s whole career has been characterized by an unflinching courage,” said another of Watson’s nominators, Scott Burris, the James E. Beasley Professor of Law and director of the Center for Public Health Law Research at Temple University Beasley School of Law. “She has always had the courage to do scholarship that mattered for people whose health needs were not being addressed.”

Watson is the first recipient of the award and was joined by Mark Lemley from Stanford Law who received an honorable mention. The AALS Section on Scholarship promotes the communication of ideas, interests and activities among members and makes recommendations to the Association on matters concerning scholarship.

Learn more about the Center for Health Law Studies

Learn more about the AALS Section on Scholarship