The College of Public Programs will give James P. Walsh the distinguished achievement award at the University Club tonight.
Walsh, Arizona attorney general special counsel and antitrust unit chief, will be honored for his contributions to the School of Justice Studies and the community, said Marie Provine, director of the School of Justice Studies.
Provine, who nominated Walsh for the award, said he helped establish the John P. Frank Memorial Lecture, a prestigious annual lecture given in the spring.
Past honorees include Gov. Janet Napolitano, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Walter Cronkite, Hugh Downs, Frank L. Snell and Betsey Bayless.
Anne L. Schneider, dean of the College of Public Programs, said she's known Walsh for more than a decade and has always respected him.
"His greatest achievements are probably still ahead of him, just like the other people we've picked," Schneider said.
Walsh said he was honored to hear he'd won the award with so many distinguished past recipients.
"It's an honor, but it's also humbling because you realize when you're asked to accept an award like this that there are a lot of other people who deserve the award more than you do," Walsh said.
Despite his humility, more than 140 people said they would attend the ceremony. Walsh said he was "shocked" to hear that.
"I hope they're successful in finding parking," Walsh added. "That's the tough job, isn't it?"
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Reach the reporter at ilan.brat@asu.edu.
