AJC Los Angeles Judge Learned Hand Award honoring Manny Abascal

American Jewish Committee (AJC) Los Angeles is thrilled to announce our esteemed honoree, the Judge Learned Hand Award to Manny Abascal. Named in memory of Judge Learned Hand, one of America’s great jurists and humanitarians, the award is given to outstanding members of the legal profession in recognition of their activities and achievements for the betterment of the community.

The celebration will be held on Thursday, November 30, 2023, at the SLS Hotel, Beverly Hills.

Tribute Chairs

(in formation)

Nancy and Leslie Abell

Margaret Goldenhersh and Wayne Barsky

Margot and Joseph Calabrese

Helen and Morgan Chu

Susan and Scott Edelman

llene and Stanley Gold

Latham and Watkins LLP

Madeline and Bruce Ramer

Julie and David Salomon

Marc M. Seltzer

Tribute Committee

(in formation)

The Honorable Steve Bullock

Jeff Finkelstein

Marshall Grossman*

Marshall and Patricia Geller

Marc Graboff

Robert Horning

Luis Li

Bjorn Malmlund

Steven J. Olson

David Schindler

Dean Schramm and Wendy Greuel

Russell Schwartz

Dyan Sublett

James W. Spertus

Henry Weissmann

*Of Blessed Memory

For more information, please contact Francine Lis at 310.405.7563 or lisf@ajc.org or Alexandra Morris at 310.282.8080 or morrisa@ajc.org

Manny Abascal is a partner at Latham & Watkins LLP, an international law firm with over 3,000 lawyers. At Latham he has represented prominent corporate and individual clients in their most high-stakes legal matters. Prior to Latham, he served as a federal prosecutor.

Mr. Abascal has a deep commitment to serving others. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital since its founding in 2011. Opened in 2015, the private, nonprofit hospital has now expanded into a health system which serves South Los Angeles, one of the most underserved communities in the country. It has been proclaimed by CNN “a state-of-the-art oasis of care in a healthcare desert” and has received multiple awards, including a rare five star rating for quality.

Mr. Abascal served as a director of the MLK Community Health Foundation, the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, and the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall, and has previously served as a director of many other non-profit organizations, including the Mexican American Bar Foundation, Public Counsel, Five Acres, and the Fulfillment Fund. He also has provided hundreds of hours of pro bono legal services, including representing dozens of victims of domestic violence and human trafficking and persons fleeing persecution to seek political asylum. Mr. Abascal himself is a child of refugees from Cuba.

As a Learned Hand honoree, Manny joins an esteemed group of leaders who exemplify Judge Learned Hand’s commitment to individual and human rights and democratic values. These core values have been at the forefront of AJC’s global mission since its founding in 1906.