On October 30, Judge Thomas Buergenthal ’60 of the International Court of Justice was awarded the 2008 Gruber Foundation International Justice Prize. A Holocaust survivor, Judge Buergenthal was recognized for his work as a world leader in the struggle for justice. He co-authored the first international human rights law textbook in the United States and helped secure the Guatemalan government’s compliance with a court order ending executions of human rights activists by special tribunals.
Judge Buergenthal will share the $500,000 prize with Jerome J. Shestack, the former president of the American Bar Association and a human rights advocate.
The Gruber Foundation Justice Prize is presented to individuals or organizations for contributions that advance the cause of justice as delivered through the legal system.