AALS News – Summer 2023

Defining Principled Leadership in Legal Education

By Mark Alexander, AALS President and Dean, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law

As legal educators, we have a unique role in shaping future lawyers. From curriculum development to administrative decisions to mentoring students, our actions today directly impact the legal profession of tomorrow. It may not be obvious, but part of our responsibility in legal education is to help our students learn to lead. Why? It’s all part of how we participate in society—how we all work to Defend Democracy.

Faculty Perspectives: Does Your Law School Need a Policy on Generative Artificial Intelligence?

The rise of students using generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications and tools (such as ChatGPT) has raised several concerns for universities and law schools. UC Berkeley Law is one of the first known schools to develop a policy specifically to address some of these concerns. AALS sat down with Chris Hoofnagle, faculty director of the Berkeley Center for Law & Technology and Professor of Law in Residence at the UC Berkeley Law to discuss the policy and use of generative AI in the classroom.

Spotlight on Sections: Financial Regulation

As part of the ongoing “Spotlight on Sections” series, AALS sat down with the leadership of the Section on Financial Regulation for a Q&A. The section provides for the exchange of information among, and the professional development of, law school faculty members interested in and involved with the laws governing financial institutions and consumer financial services, including state and Federal regulation of financial institutions and the operation and development of payment systems.

Spotlight on Sections: Jurisprudence

AALS sat down with the leadership of the Section on Jurisprudence for a “Spotlight on Sections” Q&A. The section promotes the communication of ideas, interests, and activities among members and makes recommendations on matters of interest in the teaching and improvement of the law relating to jurisprudence and legal philosophy.

AALS Selects UC Irvine School of Law as Co-host of the Journal of Legal Education

AALS is pleased to announce University of California, Irvine School of Law as a new co-host law school for the Journal of Legal Education (JLE). The school joins American University Washington College of Law to provide editorial leadership for the publication.

Journal of Legal Education Releases Two New Issues

Issue 71-1 of the Journal of Legal Education provides current perspectives on the experiences of law students and faculty with disabilities. Issue 71-2  includes a collection of articles addressing a wide range of topics, including academic freedom, judicial education, choosing a law review, and teaching a hybrid administrative law simulation.

2024 Annual Meeting

Learn more about program highlights, networking events, and speaking opportunities at the upcoming 2024 AALS Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.

New Law School Teachers Off to a Great Start at AALS Workshop in Washington, DC

AALS welcomed 120 attendees to the AALS Workshop for New Law School Teachers from June 8-10, 2023, in Washington, DC. Experienced law professors addressed faculty at the beginning of their careers with sessions focused on balancing the competing demands of teaching, scholarship, and institutional service.

Virtual Events Expand AALS Programming, Faculty Resources

AALS expanded programming for law school faculty and scholars in 2023, hosting several virtual conferences over the summer in addition to annual in-person events.

Highlights from the 2023 AALS Conference on Clinical Legal Education

More than 800 legal educators attended this spring’s AALS Conference on Clinical Legal Education, April 27-30, 2023 in San Francisco. The meeting’s theme, “Hope as a Discipline,” focused discussions and programming on the contemporary challenges threatening democracy and society and how this moment can be used as an opportunity to address injustices in a transformative way.