Seicshnaydre Receives ABA Advocacy Award for Work on Fair Housing Issues

Tulane Law School Vice Dean and Professor of Law Stacy E. Seicshnaydre has been named the recipient of the Anita P. Miller Advocacy Award, presented by the American Bar Association’s State and Local Government Law Section.

The award recognizes outstanding legal advocacy in the field of state, local and tribal government law and celebrates excellence in advocacy, including written advocacy and other forms of legal work that advance the field. Seicshnaydre will be honored as part of the 29th Annual Jefferson B. Fordham Society Awards, which recognize practitioners, scholars and public servants for significant achievements in government law. The event is scheduled to take place at the ABA national meeting in July.

“Vice Dean Seicshnaydre’s work exemplifies the very best of legal advocacy and scholarship,” said Tulane Law School Dean Marcilynn Burke. “Her research has shaped national conversations about fair housing and civil rights, and her commitment to teaching and mentoring has profoundly influenced generations of Tulane law students. This recognition from the American Bar Association reflects both the impact of her scholarship and her dedication to advancing justice through the law.”

Seicshnaydre, the William K. Christovich Professor of Law and Robert A. Ainsworth Professor in the Courts and the Federal System, is one of the nation’s leading scholars on fair housing and civil rights law. Her work examines the enforcement of the Fair Housing Act, systemic inequality in housing markets and the legal standards used to evaluate discriminatory housing policies. Her scholarship has played a significant role in shaping national legal debates about disparate impact liability under the Fair Housing Act and has been cited by both the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. 

Her research continues to influence the field through ongoing scholarship and teaching. Seicshnaydre is co-author of the casebook "The Right to Fair Housing: Cases, Statutes, and Context" (Aspen Publishing, 2025), which is the first to address the comprehensive law of fair housing across all transactions, protected groups, and dwelling types and place the evolution of fair housing rights into historical context. Through her scholarship, she helps shape both the academic conversation and the legal frameworks that guide housing policy and civil rights enforcement nationwide. 

Seicshnaydre (L'92) joined the Tulane Law faculty in 2003 and currently serves as Vice Dean for Academic Affairs. She previously served as Associate Dean for Experiential Learning and Public Interest Programs, overseeing Tulane’s clinics, externships, trial advocacy and pro bono initiatives. She also directed what is now the Tulane Civil Rights and Federal Practice Clinic for more than a decade, providing students with the opportunity to see first-hand how legal advocacy can shape policy and expand access to justice. 

Before joining the faculty, Seicshnaydre was the founding executive director and later general counsel of the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center and worked as a Skadden Fellow and staff attorney with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington, D.C.

At Tulane, students and alumni consistently praise Seicshnaydre for her engaging teaching style, rigorous expectations and commitment to mentorship. Known for bringing real-world legal issues into the classroom, she challenges students to analyze complex civil rights questions while developing practical advocacy skills. Many students credit her courses and clinical supervision with strengthening their legal reasoning and deepening their commitment to public service and social justice.