The Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers presented Associate Professor Jules Epstein with their Liberty Award at the recent annual meeting held in Harrisburg in late April. The inscription on the Liberty Award reads: “For his continuing commitment to the principles of liberty and justice under the law.”In remarks made after accepting the award, Epstein cited the words of Clarence Earl Gideon from a 1962 letter to attorney – and later Supreme Court Justice – Abe Fortas, in which Gideon wrote, “I believe that each era finds an improvement in law for the benefit of mankind.”Fortas represented Gideon before the United States Supreme Court, which ruled in the seminal 1963 Gideon v. Wainwright decision that state courts are required under the Fourteenth Amendment to provide counsel in criminal cases for defendants who are unable to afford to pay their own attorneys. With the recent anniversary of the case, Gideon's words struck Professor Epstein as particularly appropriate.Professor Epstein serves on the Board of Directors for the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Dense Lawyers. He regularly contributes to amicus briefs that the organization files and also teaches at continuing legal education events throughout Pennsylvania, particularly in the area of death penalty jurisprudence.The Widener Law community congratulates Professor Epstein on the well-deserved award!Standard Disclaimer for External Links