AALS has launched a series that will highlight a different member school and focus on a recent program or accomplishment in order to showcase the rich variety of approaches to legal education that makes up the American legal academy. A list of past highlights is available below.

Member School Highlight – The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University

Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Founded: 1965
Joined AALS: 1969
Dean: Stacy Leeds

The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University is a leading public institution at the forefront of legal education, research, and service. Located in Phoenix, AZ, with additional locations in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., ASU Law provides a dynamic learning environment enriched by its proximity to the legal, business, government, and nonprofit sectors.

ASU Law offers a diverse range of degree programs, including the Juris Doctor, Master of Laws, Master of Legal Studies, Master of Human Resources and Employment Law, and Master of Sports, Law and Business. Delivering a legal education beyond traditional boundaries, ASU Law equips its 208 first-year JD students with innovative tools to address complex legal challenges. This fall, ASU Law welcomed one of its most accomplished and diverse classes, with over 630 new JD and master’s students joining its more than 1,800 total student body.

ASU Law is committed to public service in keeping with the legacy of its namesake, the late Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. Public interest law offerings are core to the law school’s identity, with hands-on externships and clinical experiences offered to prepare its graduates to work in courts, government, public interest law firms, and nonprofit organizations.

Diné College and Arizona State University partnered to create a Bachelor of Arts program in Navajo law.

As part of ASU Law’s priority to reimagine legal education and empower the next generation of legal scholars, ASU Law recently announced a groundbreaking set of partnerships with the Navajo Nation and Diné College. These collaborations established the world’s first Tribally affiliated legal education by packaging four comprehensive law degrees uniquely tailored to meet the evolving legal needs of the Navajo Nation. The cornerstone of this initiative is a shared commitment to strengthening the Navajo Nation’s cultural traditions, sovereignty, legal system, and self-governance while empowering future generations to address the Navajo Nation’s legal challenges. ASU Law will provide new emphasis areas in Navajo law within the Master of Legal Studies and Master of Laws in tribal policy, law, and government.

There are 22 Indigenous Nations in Arizona and ASU Law is producing lawyers and leaders to address their changes and contribute to their successes. The Indian Legal Program (ILP) one of the most respected Indian law programs in the nation is a central part of ASU Law. In its 35th year, the law school celebrates 56 years of commitment to Indian Country. Additionally, the American Indian Policy Institute (AIPI) joined the law school, showcasing its continued commitment to further advancing ASU’s work with tribal communities. AIPI is recognized internationally for its leadership in American Indian policy and is renowned for its expertise and national leadership in tribal broadband policy and digital sovereignty research. The AIPI will work closely with programs like ILP and other Centers housed in the law school to enact real change for Tribal communities.

“We are dedicated to maximizing outcomes for our students, pushing us to consider how we provide the most impact by embracing flexibility in the delivery of legal education and producing strategic programs,” said Stacy Leeds, Dean of Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. “As a dynamic institution, it’s key to forge innovative partnerships to continue our commitment to empowering our communities.”