NDLS Alum Receives Humanitarian Award

On Friday, October 16, the Notre Dame Law Association (NDLA) Board of Directors honored Notre Dame Law alum and longtime NDLA Board member Robert Michael Greene with the Father William Lewers, C.S.C. Award. The award recognized Greene for his contributions in the areas of civil and human rights, social justice, and international humanitarian service, including his efforts to help the people of Haiti. Father Lewers was a longtime and outstanding faculty member of Notre Dame Law School who also directed the Law School’s Center for Civil and Human Rights.

Greene is a 1969 graduate of Notre Dame Law School, and practices law as a partner in the firm of Phillips Lytle LLP, Buffalo, New York.

Greene began participating in medical missions to Haiti in 2001, and continues to visit the impoverished nation about twice each year. The medical missions typically last ten days and are sponsored by Philadelphia based Global Health Volunteers. He has assisted in the establishment of new clinics, traveling to Haiti to evaluate potential sites for Medicines for Humanity which operates out of Boston.

Greene has also worked to raise funds for Centre Notre Dame de Lourdes, an orphanage for girls and a neighborhood clinic in Port-au-Prince. Greene learned about the orphanage during one of his medical missions, and has been involved in fundraising for the Centre ever since. All told, he has raised tens-of-thousands of dollars to complete an OB/GYN clinic, purchase equipment for the clinic’s laboratory, and install a water purification system for the Centre.