The Chicago-Kent College of Law/Roy C. Palmer Civil Liberties Prize was established in spring 2007 by alumnus Roy C. Palmer '62 and his wife, Susan M. Palmer, to honor a work of scholarship exploring the tension between civil liberties and national security in contemporary American society. The $10,000 prize is designed to encourage and reward public debate among scholars on current issues affecting the rights of individuals and the responsibilities of governments throughout the world.
The winner of the Palmer Prize will travel to Chicago-Kent to deliver the Palmer Prize Lecture, typically in the Fall.
Benefactor Roy Palmer, a lawyer and real estate developer, was a 1962 honors graduate of Chicago-Kent and a member of its board of advisors. Mr. Palmer received the Chicago-Kent Alumni Association's 2012 Distinguished Service Award and was named by the law school in 2013 as one of "125 Alumni of Distinction." With his wife, Susan, he was active in numerous civic, social and philanthropic organizations. Mr. Palmer died in February 2017.
The 2021 Chicago-Kent College of Law/Roy C. Palmer Civil Liberties Prize has been awarded to Jens David Ohlin for his book, Election Interference: International Law and the Future of Democracy, published by Cambridge University Press in 2020. Read more...
