Introducing the 2019 Warren Christopher Awardee: Barry A. Sanders
| Publication year | 2019 |
| Author | By Robert E. Lutz* |
By Robert E. Lutz*
The second Annual Meeting of the California Lawyers Association (CLA) offered the International Law Section (ILS) a unique opportunity to honor the memory of Warren Christopher and to affirm the values that reflect the highest qualities of our profession. The Warren Christopher Award is "presented to a legal practitioner who renders extraordinary service to our profession in the field of international law...[and has been] a stalwart promoter of the international rule of law."
The ILS is pleased to announce that it conferred its 2019 Christopher Award on Barry A. Sanders, and I was fortunate to present this award at the Annual Meeting. In bestowing the Award, we honor Barry's very important and special contributions. Like Warren Christopher—a diplomat, politician and lawyer of the highest order—Barry is the quintessential model of a lawyer; his contributions to international law, the community, and arts and culture are remarkable.
To highlight some of these, I begin with one of the most significant related to our Section: Barry was the founding chairperson of this Section in the late-1980s when the California Bar was the home of Sections. He organized a number of us, then active locally in the International Law Section of the LA County Bar Association, to petition the State Bar for recognition. After formation, he served as its first Chair and led it on a successful path of programs and publications (a quarterly newsletter and the then-California International Practitioner, both of which I had the pleasure of serving as the founding editor-in-chief). He led Latham & Watkins' international practice group for many years and was a partner with that firm focusing on international practice from 1978 to his retirement in 2002. He served as the first President of the Los Angeles Center of International Commercial Arbitration and was Co-Chair of "Rebuild LA," a private organization assisting our community to recover from the 1992 LA riots and address inner-city problems.
Barry's leadership in community organizations and projects also reflects an abiding commitment to serve a remarkable variety of civic causes. His many positions over the years include leadership in such groups as city commissions, California Council on Competitiveness, LA Sports Council, Olympic organizing initiatives, the Special Olympics, Public Library Foundation, USC Thornton...
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