Stanford Law School announced in October two important new programs in its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiative—each honoring historic firsts at the law school.

The Sallyanne Payton Fellowship will support a diverse range of students who aim to pursue careers in legal academia. This fellowship honors Payton, JD ’68 (BA ’64), who was the first African-American to graduate from Stanford Law School and the first to serve on the Stanford Law Review. She went on to have an inspiring legal career, holding numerous influential posts in both Democratic and Republican administrations in D.C. A legal scholar in the fields of health law and administrative law at the University of Michigan, she held the L. Bates Lea Chair at the university until her retirement in 2013. She is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, a senior fellow to the Administrative Conference of the United States, and a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance.

The Barbara Allen Babcock Award for Excellence in Teaching will recognize instructors teaching in the 1L required curriculum who promote inclusive learning, intellectual rigor, and commitment to the highest standards of professional integrity, mentorship, and service. Babcock, the Judge John Crown Professor of Law, Emerita, who passed away April 18, 2020, was a pioneering lawyer and law professor. In 1968, she was appointed the first director of Washington, D.C.’s new Public Defender Service. Her successful work there and early efforts to develop courses on women and the law gained national recognition and led to her appointment as the first woman on the faculty of Stanford Law School. SL