Exposing her students to their responsibility to improve access to justice for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in their community has been a hallmark of Professor Marguerite Angelari’s legal and academic career.  Following her completion of a clerkship for the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, Professor Angelari  created the Center for Family Law at the Women’s Law Center of Maryland where she engaged in litigation and legislative reform efforts on family law issues including domestic violence, child support and child custody.  

In 2000 Professor Angelari joined the faculty of Loyola University Chicago School of Law and created the Elder Law Initiative with a three-fold mission: to sensitize law students to the unique legal needs of the elderly, particularly the low-income elderly; to prepare the students to serve the legal needs of the elderly throughout their careers; and to serve as a resource to the judiciary.  The Initiative also includes the Elder Law Clinic, where law and social work students work together on actual adult guardianship and elder abuse cases.   By exposing her students to the injustices that exist for the elderly and the indigent in Chicago who often must face the court system without representation, Professor Angelari has built a cadre of attorneys with a special awareness of the many barriers older individuals face in accessing our justice system.  

Because she both demands the best from her students and acts as a role model, emphasizing the importance of quality legal representation for all members of our society, particularly the most vulnerable, Professor Angelari is a deserving recipient of the Leonard Jay Schrager Award of Excellence.