U.S. District Judge Michael Davis recently earned national recognition for four-plus decades of work promoting the advancement of civil and human rights.

The Federal Bar Association last month presented to Davis the Sarah T. Hughes Civil Rights Award, named for the first female federal judge appointed in Texas in the 1960s. Davis, who began his career as a poverty lawyer, rose to become Minnesota's first black federal judge and eventually chief federal judge.

"It was of no surprise to any of us," said U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank, who struck up a friendship with Davis when the two were state court judges in the 1980s. "Even though he would minimize it and say he's not a civil rights giant, he is."

Frank was among those to nominate Davis for the award earlier this year. Before they joined the federal bench, the two judges also worked together on the Minnesota Supreme Court's task force on racial bias in the judicial system. Davis edited its 1993 report and wrote a preface memorializing then-recently deceased Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, whose picture and quotations are displayed inside Davis' chambers.

While chief judge, Davis helped create Minnesota's federal Pro Se Project after finding that people of color and the poor disproportionately served as their own legal representation in federal civil litigation. Since its 2010 inception, the project has matched 449 clients with volunteer attorneys and won a national award in 2011.

Now a senior federal judge — Davis stepped down as chief judge last year after being appointed in 2008 — he also helped lead annual outreach programs connecting Twin Cities high school students with attorneys and judges to discuss civil rights and legal issues.

"I would watch students after his presentations come up and say, 'you think I could really go to law school?' " Frank recalled, adding that Davis told students that "if I can do it, you can do it."

Davis was not available for comment Tuesday.

Shortly after receiving the award, Davis told a Federal Bar Association newsletter that he credited his late mother for his passion for advocating for equality.

"We have come a long distance and have a long ways to go," Davis said. "Fortunately, we have many partners seeking racial equality here and across the country. I'm just a foot soldier."

Stephen Montemayor • 612-673-1755

Twitter: @smontemayor