AALS News – Fall 2023

Defending Democracy Requires a Collaborative Spirit

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

As my AALS presidency nears its conclusion, I have been reflecting on the theme I selected for this honor and opportunity: Defending Democracy. As a constitutional law and election law scholar, democracy and the rule of law have guided my career. While this is a year-long theme for the AALS, the call to defend our democracy has been central to my thinking for quite some time.

Nominations for AALS President-Elect and Executive Committee

The AALS Nominating Committee for 2024 has nominated the following individuals to serve on the AALS Executive Committee: For President-Elect, Austen Parrish (University of California, Irvine School of Law). For three-year terms on the Executive Committee, Risa Goluboff (University of Virginia School of Law) and John Valery White (University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law).

2024 Annual Meeting: Hot Topics, President’s Program, Networking

The 2024 AALS Annual Meeting is around the corner. We look forward to welcoming the law school community back to Washington, DC with four days packed with sessions and events, celebrations and awards, and opportunities to connect with collaborators, new faces, and old friends.

AALS Announces 2024 Section Award Winners

The Association of American Law Schools is proud to announce the winners of its 2024 section awards for excellence in legal education.

AALS Selects 2024 Scholarly Papers Competition Winner

The Association of American Law Schools has announced the winner of the 2024 AALS Scholarly Papers Competition for law school faculty members in the field for five years or fewer. The competition’s selection committee recognized the following outstanding paper: “The Small Agency Problem in American Policing” by Maria Ponomarenko, Assistant Professor, University of Texas School of Law.

Spotlight on Sections: Law and South Asian Studies

As part of the ongoing “Spotlight on Sections” series, AALS sat down with the leadership of the Section on Law and South Asian Studies to discuss the latest in the field and plans for the section.

Journal of Legal Education Issue Explores New Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence, Pedagogy, Legal Scholarship, and More

The recently released issue 71-3 of the Journal of Legal Education covers a broad spectrum of subjects central to the legal academy. Article topics include ChatGPT’s performance on the bar exam, approaches to teaching and designing curricula, a guide to archetypal legal scholarship, the future of law licensing, and methods of fostering law student and lawyer well-being.

AALS Seeks Member Law School as Editorial Partner for the Journal of Legal Education

The AALS Executive Committee seeks an AALS member law school to partner in editorial responsibility for the AALS Journal of Legal Education. The new law school will serve a five-year term and identify faculty editors.

Before the JD and Beyond the Bachelor’s Reports Now Available Free Online

AALS has made the Before the JD and Beyond the Bachelor’s research reports available without charge on the AALS website.