#03/2024
For Immediate Release
Monday, February 12, 2024
JUSTIN BROOKS RECEIVES OHTLI AWARD FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO
Dr. Justin Brooks, professor at the University of San Diego School of Law, will receive the Ohtli Award tonight, which is the highest recognition granted by the Government of Mexico to those who have supported the Mexican community abroad.
The "Ohtli" award, meaning "path" or "way" in Nahuatl, acknowledges pioneers who have set an example and shown the way for other individuals of Mexican origin. As a lawyer, Brooks led for 25 years the California Innocence Project from its foundation in 1999 until last July.
“Justin Brooks has been a valuable ally to the Mexican Consulate, fighting for the release of unjustly incarcerated nationals. Justin is also the founder and director of the Innocence Network in Mexico, and his work in our country is highly recognized, as is his project in California,” explained Carlos González Gutiérrez, Consul General of Mexico in San Diego, who will present the Ohtli 2024 award in the presence of elected officials from California, previous recipients of the award, and members of the Mexican and binational community.
The new Ohtli Award recipient for 2024 also serves as the academic director of the Master of Laws in Spanish at the University of San Diego and administers the Mexico Law Student Litigation and Mediation Initiative —a program funded by the U.S. federal government dedicated to training law students in the new orality-based Criminal Justice System.
Regarding the recognition, Justin Brooks said, “It is very special for me to be honored by the Mexican government. For 25 years, I’ve been training Mexican law students and lawyers in the skills they need to operate in Mexico’s justice system. I’ve assisted in launching innocence organizations throughout Mexico that work to free innocent people from prison, and I’ve freed six innocent Mexican people who were wrongfully incarcerated in the United States.
“Mexico is our neighbor, our most important trade partner, and our most important friend. It is an honor and a privilege to work inside and outside of Mexico improving the justice system for the Mexican people."
Justin Brooks also coordinates the efforts of 35 Innocence organizations in Latin America through the "Inocente!" organization.
He was named “International Lawyer of the Year” by the California Bar International Section in 2020 and, in the same year, was named “Champion of Justice” by the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys.
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