Florida law school establishes center named after Ben Crump

A law school in Florida has created a new center named after civil rights attorney Ben Crump.

The lawyer and the St. Thomas University College of Law announced on Thursday that the graduate school would be establishing the Benjamin L. Crump Center for Social Justice.

According to a press release, the center will "provide innovating programming, symposia, and training to catalyze the next generation of social justice engineers."

"Lawyers can be the social engineers, using the tools found in the Constitution, to expose the nature and depth of injustices - and to eliminate these injustices through education and advocacy," Crump said in a statement.

"This center will serve as a pipeline for historically marginalized students to get their law degrees and give back to society, following the legacy of my personal hero, Thurgood Marshall."

College of Law Dean Tamara Lawson said, "There is no better role model or mentor for our students than Ben Crump."

"His career is a testament to what can be achieved with an unwavering commitment to justice and protecting those in need," Lawson added.

The two also announced that efforts to support students from marginalized backgrounds to pursue a profession in law were supported by a $35 million campaign.

Crump became a household name as he represented the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Trayvon Martin - Black Americans whose deaths were highlighted by criminal justice advocates and others to push for reforms.

The cases of Taylor and Floyd in particular sparked widespread protests over police use of force, after both died in officer-involved incidents.

"I believe America can be a country that lives up to its ideals, if we work for it," Crump said in announcing the new law center.