British barrister, broadcaster and Labour member of the House of Lords. Advocate for civil liberties and human rights. Principal of Mansfield College, Oxford. President of the Helena Kennedy Foundation. Honorary Fellow of the British Academy. President of the Board of Governors of the School of Oriental and African Studies. Trustee of the British Museum.

In the words of the HLS community member who nominated her, “Helena Kennedy’s distinguished work as a lawyer in the United Kingdom advances civil liberties and human rights.  She has successfully given strength and effectiveness to voices and lives of those most vulnerable to exclusion within society. Kennedy’s influence as a lawyer, broadcaster, leaser of academic and nonprofit institutions, and Labour member of the House of Lords has given attention and nuanced analysis to important ethical and social issues, and her work demonstrates brilliance and compassion.”