Professor William Alford Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

On January 8th, at its 2026 annual meeting, the American Association of Law Schools (AALS) recognized HPOD Chair Professor William P. Alford's indelible work as a "distinguished scholar, teacher, administrator, mentor and advocate for the marginalized." The AALS East Asian Law and Society section's Jerome A. Cohen Lifetime Achievement award, named after the late Jerome Alan Cohen, a foundational figure in legal education and former member of the Harvard Law School faculty, serves “to honor an individual who has had a distinguished career of teaching, service, and scholarship for at least 20 years, including at least 5 years as a faculty member at an AALS member institution, in the field of East Asian Law & Society. The recipient should be someone who has impacted the legal community, the academy, and the issues that affect the field through mentoring, writing, speaking, activism, and by providing opportunities to others in the field.”

As HPOD's Executive Director Professor Michael Ashley Stein wrote in a 2021 tribute, beyond his notable contributions to East Asian legal scholarship and teaching, Professor Alford's "wisdom, generosity, kindness, and devotion" have been central to HPOD's many accomplishments since they co-founded the project in 2004. Professor Alford's tireless leadership and vision have enabled HPOD to foster the dignity of persons with disabilities in over 40 countries. From HPOD's decades-long work with Renmin University to foster disability law and policy education and scholarship in the People's Republic of China, to a new academic program on disability law and policy with Seoul National University in Korea, Professor Alford has instilled an ethos of humility and sensitivity through HPOD's work that enables it to successfully bridge differing legal and cultural environments.

Professor Alford has also applied his scholarly acumen to lift up marginalized voices within the disability community, namely, persons with intellectual disabilities. This is reflected in his multi-volume books, co-edited with HPOD's Senior Director for East Asia Dr. Cui Fengming and Professor Liao Mei, regarding the lives of persons with intellectual disabilities in the People's Republic of China; his co-authored essay, with Marie Hennessy, HPOD's Self-Advocacy Associate Anne Fracht, and HPOD's Director of Advocacy Initiatives Hezzy Smith, on the importance of supported decision-making as a possible alternative to guardianship for adults with intellectual disabilities; and his forceful critique of philosopher Peter Singer's views on the inherent worth of persons with severe cognitive impairments. Throughout, Professor Alford's scholarship reflects a commitment to use his academic skills in service of replacing stigma and stereotypes about this oft ignored and misunderstood population with greater awareness of their capabilities and rightful place in society.

Finally, Professor Alford's longstanding support for greater social inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities, as exemplified by his pro bono work with Special Olympics International, has translated into a special emphasis throughout HPOD's work on enabling advocates with intellectual disabilities to speak up for their rights. From working with Professor Stein and Mr. Smith to introduce law students to persons with intellectual disabilities, to creating a Self-Advocacy Associate position now admirably filled by Ms. Fracht, as well as instituting an initiative to facilitate greater participation by persons with intellectual disabilities in research, Professor Alford's insistence that the global disability movement's mantra, "nothing about us without us," extend to the most marginalized corners of the disability community has shaped HPOD's programming since its inception.