Mari J. Matsuda is an American lawyer, activist, and law professor known for her influential work in critical race theory. Born in 1956, she has made significant contributions to the field of law and has been a strong advocate for social justice and civil rights.
Matsuda began her educational journey in Hawaii, where she obtained her high school diploma from Roosevelt High School. She then went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Arizona State University. Her passion for law led her to pursue a Juris Doctor from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Additionally, Matsuda furthered her legal knowledge by obtaining an LL.M. from Harvard Law School.
After completing her education, Matsuda embarked on a successful career as a lawyer and legal scholar. She started as an associate at the labor law firm of King & Nakamura in Honolulu and later served as a law clerk to Judge Herbert Young Cho Choy of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. These early experiences shaped her understanding of the legal system and laid the foundation for her future work.
Matsuda’s breakthrough came in 1998 when she became the first tenured female Asian American law professor in the United States at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law. Prior to this, she had taught law at the University of Hawai’i School of Law and Stanford Law School. Her areas of expertise included torts, constitutional law, legal history, feminist theory, critical race theory, and civil rights law.
A self-described activist scholar, Matsuda has used her platform to champion social and racial justice issues. She has been a leading voice in critical race theory and has published extensively on topics such as reparations and affirmative action. Her articles have been widely cited in both academic and popular journals, and she has been recognized as one of the most influential legal scholars in the field.
In addition to her academic work, Matsuda has actively engaged in advocacy and community initiatives. She has served as a board member of the Chevron-Texaco Task Force on Equality and Fairness, where she coauthored the final report in 2002. Her commitment to human rights and equality was acknowledged when she received the 2003 Society of American Law Teachers Human Rights Award at the Association of American Law Schools Conference.
Matsuda’s influence reaches beyond the classroom and academia. She has been a sought-after keynote speaker and has delivered lectures at various universities. Her work has also been cited in state supreme court opinions, further highlighting the impact she has had on legal discourse and decision-making.
Throughout her career, Matsuda has remained dedicated to her community and the notion that teaching is interconnected with the pursuit of social change. Her inspiring journey as a pioneering Asian American woman in the legal profession has paved the way for future generations of scholars and activists.
Awards:
– 2003 Society of American Law Teachers Human Rights Award