Ricks ’90 Receives Rutgers University's Award for Civic Engagement

Sarah Ricks ’90, Clinical Professor of Law at Rutgers Law, has been selected for the Chancellor’s Award for Civic Engagement. Her work stands out for its duration, depth, and impact. 

Since 2008, Ricks has served as a Commissioner for two mayors on the Philadelphia city government’s Commission on Human Relations—the city’s anti-discrimination agency. Twice a month she meets to review case closings concerning discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and delivery of city services. She has sat as an administrative law judge on sexual harassment and employment discrimination claims brought by a transgender lifeguard and by a taxi passenger who faced discrimination for being gay. Ricks helped author a report on Racism and Discrimination in Philadelphia’s LGBTQ Community. She also participated in the creation of a report based on public school bullying motivated by race, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability—and she was present at 11 public hearings as part of the report process. She also helped draft an overhaul of Philadelphia’s antidiscrimination Ordinance that was enacted into law. 

Ricks’s Commission work was the singular reason she was selected, but she also has other significant public interest work beyond the Commission. She is a board member for Mothers in Charge, which exists to prevent violence in the Philadelphia community and to offer support for those in the community whose lives have been affected by the loss of family members to gun violence. She’s also a former board member of the Women’s Law Project in Philadelphia.