Diversity is a core value of the AALS and is critical to our law schools, the legal profession and the world. The topic has been a central feature of past and current AALS publications and Annual Meeting sessions, including Section programming. Recognizing its importance, the current and incoming AALS Presidents have joined together to launch a two-year focus upon diversity, encompassing its many facets, starting with this call for papers for a Presidential Program at the 2017 Annual Meeting in San Francisco.
Presenters will be chosen competitively from submissions received, and papers are expected to be published in the Journal of Legal Education or another academic journal. Please note, submissions that address the following issue statement most directly will be given priority.
Call for Papers
Much fine scholarship has, in recent years, addressed important diversity issues surrounding gender, religion, race, viewpoint, disability, and sexual orientation. Tying in to recent events on and off campus, our colleagues in the legal academy have addressed questions of racial equity and inclusion in their teaching and scholarship. Many law schools are now engaged in heightened and new forms of institutional attention on racial and other forms of equity. Some of this heightened inquiry has been prompted by our own reflection on major social issues, including highly visible racial disparity issues in our criminal justice system; however, social and campus protests, including those of the Black Lives Matter movement, have also spurred greater focus.
This President’s Program and associated papers will seek to answer questions, including:
Papers may be submitted by full-time faculty, administrators, or graduate students at AALS Member or Fee-Paid law schools, or by international faculty. Please submit a one-page abstract by September 15, 2016 using the form located at www.aals.org/aals-events/rfps/. Questions may be directed to [email protected].
AALS seeks proposals and papers Hot Topic sessions, which focus on topics that emerged too late to be included in other types of programs. Proposals are due October 6 for Hot Topic sessions–we encourage submissions to consider the meeting’s theme of “Why Law Matters” in framing your proposal.
Program organizers should allow time for audience participation in the proposals. The selection committee also welcomes proposals for programs that depart from the typical format of having participants present 10-20 minute talks. Organizers could, for example, submit a proposal for a roundtable style program in which participants answer a series of questions posed by the moderator and the audience. Hot Topic programs that are selected by the committee will be scheduled by the AALS staff for 1 ¾ hour sessions.
Hot Topic program on Fisher v. University of Texas at the 2016 AALS Annual Meeting with Brian Fitzpatrick, Vanderbilt University Law School and Devon Wayne Carbado, UCLA School of Law.
Many AALS Sections are also accepting proposals for presenters at their programs at the Annual Meeting. Topics and deadlines vary.
To see all calls for papers that are still accepting proposals, visit www.aals.org/aals-events/rfps/.
