The Mexican government has honored UC Davis law professor Frank James Smith with the Ohtli Award, "the highest recognition granted by Mexico to individuals who pave pathways for Mexicans abroad," said Consul General of Mexico, Carlos González Gutiérrez. Smith, 67, founded the UC Davis Immigration Law Clinic in 1981. "It is the oldest in the nation and some 600 UC Davis law students have worked there," Smith said. González Gutiérrez said Smith "has advocated for the rights of immigrants in this country and particularly in California and has been the mentor of dozens of successful practitioners in the field of immigration law." Smith worked for the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation before going to Davis to teach in 1976. Ohtli is a Nahuatl word - Nahuatl the language of the Aztecs - meaning camino or road.