Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Lecture
| 1985-86 | Professor Norman C. Amaker "Martin Luther King, The Law and Lawyers" |
| 1986-87 | Professor Henry Rose "The Legal Problems of the Poor in Chicago" |
| 1987-88 | Professor Alan Raphael |
| 1988-89 | Justice Blanche M. Manning "Enactment of Human Rights Laws An Expansion of Civil Rights" |
| 1989-90 | Honorable George N. Leighton |
| 1990-91 | James Montgomery "The FBI as Domestic Spy: From Dr. King to Alderman Rush" |
| 1991-92 | Donald L. Hollowell "King and the Lawyers" |
| 1992-93 | Professor Norman C. Amaker "If Martin Luther King, Jr. Were Alive... (What Would Martin Say?)" |
| 1993-94 | Mark E. Jones |
| 1994-95 | Honorable Shelvin Louis Marie Hall "Dr. King and the West Side Dream" |
| 1995-96 | Honorable David H. Coar |
| 1996-97 | Adam Bourgeois "In the Spirit of Keeping the Dream Alive" |
| 1997-98 | Vaughn A. Carney "King's Vision for Unity and the Affirmative Action Debate in 1998" |
| 1998-99 | State Senator Barack Obama "Vision: From Dream to Reality" |
| 1999-00 | Honorable R. Eugene Pincham "The Relevance of Dr. King's Dream in the 21st Century" |
| 2000-01 | Professor Drew S. Days III |
| 2001-02 | J. Clay Smith "The Cross Fertilization of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Dr. Charles Hamilton Houston" |
| 2002-03 | Honorable Ann C. Williams "Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Impact on the Federal Judiciary" |
| 2003-04 | Morris Dees "Moving Justice Forward Piece by Peace" |
| 2004-05 | Honorable Timothy C. Evans "The Quest for Freedom Continues" |
| 2005-06 | Christopher Benson "Emmett Till: A Legacy at the Crossroads" |
| 2006-07 | Robert H. Jordan Jr. "Dr. King's Dream and Today's Realities-Are they Consistent?" |
| 2007-08 | David Hall "In Times Like These, We Need a King: A Celebration of the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King" |
