The Faculty Lounge

Tom McHenry Stepping Down as Dean and President of Vermont Law

The Vermont Law School announced that its President and Dean, Thomas McHenry, will step down at the end of  the 2020-21 academic year.  McHenry joined the law school, and assumed these leadership positions,  in 2017.  

A Seasonal Favorite

OH, DEER, IT'S PROBABLY TIME TO GET OUT OF THERE

Steven Lubet is a law professor at Northwestern University 

CHICAGO TRIBUNE November 21, 1996

In Wisconsin, there is only one week a year when nobody thinks about cheese. For nine consecutive days each fall, they drop their curds and whey and head off to hunt deer. Rising well before dawn, they dress up in Day-Glo orange bibs, grab their trusty shotguns or rifles, and traipse into the woods to lie in wait at their favorite salt licks, all the better to ambush some innocent, sleepy, unsuspecting ungulate.

Need a haircut? Too bad. The barber's out hunting. Want to buy an airplane ticket? Sorry. The travel agent is breaking in a new 12-gauge. Searching for spiritual redemption? I'm afraid you'll have to find the way yourself. The minister and priest are crouching behind a deer blind, hoping to bag a 10-point buck. A bris? Forget it. The rabbi and mohel have made it an ecumenical foursome. How can you tell a Wisconsin church from a synagogue? Simple. At the churches they just mount the antlers; at the synagogues they turn 'em into menorahs.

James Last Orchestra

Based in Germany, Orchester James Last was a big band active from the late 1970s until 2014. Have some fun.

Robert Schapiro Named Dean of San Diego Law

Emory's Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law, Robert Schapiro, the law school's former dean, will be moving California this January to become dean of the University of San Diego School of Law.  He leaves Emory after 25 years on the faculty.  He holds a JD from Yale.

Hiring Announcement: Belmont University College of Law (fellowship)

From an email message that I received recently:

Belmont University College of Law invites applications for a law school fellowship through the Belmont University Fellows Program. Belmont University is a private, Christian university focusing on academic excellence and is located in the heart of Nashville, one of the fastest growing and most culturally rich cities in the country.  Belmont’s student body of over 8,400 includes students from every state, more than 35 countries, and all faiths.  The Belmont faculty is dedicated to teaching, service, and active engagement in scholarship.  The median LSAT/GPA for the one hundred and forty-two students who entered the law school in August 2019 were 156 and 3.63 (75th percentile: 158 and 3.84; 25th percentile: 153 and 3.28), placing the school well within the top 100 U.S. law schools for quality of applicants.  Belmont’s average first-time bar passage rate for the July 2018 and 2019 Tennessee bar exams was 95.8%, one of the highest pass rates in the country, and its average employment rate for the 2018 & 2019 classes was 95%.

The Belmont University Fellows Program provides a unique and valuable opportunity to increase diversity in the legal academy. A successful applicant must have a J.D., strong academic background, and record that indicates the promise of both teaching excellence and high scholarly achievement.  Fellows will be recruited based on their academic and professional accomplishments and will be selected with a focus on under-represented groups in their discipline. This two-year program allows for the Belmont Fellow to be mentored by a Faculty Mentor at Belmont University in the development and delivery of academic courses while engaging in scholarly research. The intent is to help develop the pipeline for faculty to transition from practice into teaching-research positions within academia. Additional, information, including how to apply, can be found at http://www.belmont.edu/academics/faculty-fellows/

Belmont is an EOE/AA employer and welcomes applications from candidates who may add to the diversity at Belmont College of Law.  Belmont College of Law reserves the right to exercise a preference for those candidates who support the goals and missions of the University. Additional questions can be directed to the Chair of the Faculty Recruitment Committee Professor Loren Mulraine at [email protected] or [email protected] 

Hiring Announcement: Belmont University College of Law (tenure-track faculty position)

From an email message that I received recently:

Belmont University College of Law, in Nashville, Tennessee, invites applications from entry level and experienced candidates to fill a tenure-track faculty position.  We are seeking candidates across a broad range of teaching and research areas, starting with the 2021-2022 academic year, with the successful candidate's teaching load including Evidence.  

A successful applicant must have a J.D., strong academic background, and record that indicates the promise of both teaching excellence and high scholarly achievement.  Belmont is an EOE/AA employer and welcomes applications from candidates who may add to the diversity at Belmont College of Law.  Belmont College of Law reserves the right to exercise a preference for those candidates who support the goals and missions of the University. 

If interested, please submit a letter of interest and curriculum vitae to the Chair of the Faculty Recruitment Committee Professor Loren Mulraine at [email protected] or [email protected]

Belmont University is a private, Christian university focusing on academic excellence and is located in the heart of Nashville, one of the fastest growing and most culturally rich cities in the country.  Belmont’s student body of over 8,400 includes students from every state, more than 35 countries, and all faiths.  The Belmont faculty is dedicated to teaching, service, and active engagement in scholarship.  The median LSAT/GPA for the 142 students who entered the law school in August 2019 were 156 and 3.63 (75th percentile: 158 and 3.84; 25th percentile: 153 and 3.28), placing the school well within the top 100 U.S. law schools for quality of applicants.  Belmont’s first-time bar passage rate for the July 2018 and 2019 Tennessee bar exams was 95.8%, one of the highest pass rates in the country, and its employment rate for the 2018 & 2019 classes was 95%.

Evanstonians Celebrate Safely

h/t Linda Lipton

Marijuana Legalization with Pat Oglesby on the Taboo Trades Podcast

I've posted a new episode of the Taboo Trades podcast, this one featuring Pat Oglesby of the Center for New Revenue discussing marijuana legalization. From the show summary: "Pat discusses marijuana legalization and disses on the tax academe"

Pat has also done a blog post about the episode, in which he answers a few additional questions about legalization and drug policy posed by my seminar students.

You can listen to this episode (and others!) on spotify or apple, among other services. 

 

 

 

The Professoriate Needs Pedigree Diversity

This is a guest post by David Varel, originally on The Academe Blog:

The Professoriate Needs Pedigree Diversity

Guest Blogger

BY DAVID A. VAREL

These days, as any job seeker will tell you, universities are prioritizing diversity on their faculties. The way they are conceptualizing it has expanded dramatically over time, now including not only race and gender but also sexual orientation, disability, military service, and many other categories. Yet one omission is especially striking: “pedigree” diversity. Today, as always, the lion’s share of tenure-track jobs goes to graduates from only the most highly ranked programs.

The absence of pedigree diversity from the list is telling. It demonstrates the degree to which the myth of meritocracy and its ugly cousin elitism continue to pervade academia. Elitism holds that those who attended the most prestigious programs in the country are the best and the brightest, and that they therefore deserve to hold as many of the nation’s professorships as they can fill. The logic is seductive. It envisions a level playing field where all other inequalities are set aside so that anyone from any group can compete and earn a place at the top through individual ability, intelligence, and work ethic.

However, the essential fact that elite universities cannot escape is that they ultimately matriculate a hugely disproportionate number of affluent students whose wealth, social connections, and class-based cultural knowledge make them more viable candidates. The students with greater access to top-ranked doctoral programs are the ones who have associated themselves with elite institutions and well-known professors as undergraduate or master’s students, who have strategically plotted out their academic careers from an early age, and who understand how to make use of their accumulating social privilege (including better access to grants, fellowships, social networks, and status) to gain admission. Upon matriculation, those advantages only compound.

University of Hong Kong - Global Academic Fellows in Law Program

Applications are invited for three appointments as Global Academic Fellow in the Department of Law, to commence in August 2021 or January 2022, for a period of two years.
 
The Global Academic Fellows Programme was created to provide outstanding and aspiring legal academics with time and resources to transition into the global teaching market. Fellows will have access to an internationally leading faculty for mentorship, affiliation with related research centers, and funding for attending academic conferences to present their work. Other opportunities will include teaching appointees’ own course or gaining experience in core courses, and organizing funded academic conferences in their field. Applicants should have completed their doctoral degrees (JD or PhD) before the start of their appointments, unless they possess significant practice experience.

One to three fellows will be appointed each year, and will be expected to be in residence at HKU and devote their time primarily to their own research and preparation for entering the international teaching market. Fellows will be provided shared office space and administrative support when needed. Information about the Department of Law and the Faculty of Law can be found at: www.law.hku.hk.

Global Academic Fellows enjoy a highly competitive salary of 480,000HKD (~60,000USD/52,000EUR) in addition to annual leave, travel funds, relocation expenses and full medical benefits. At current rates, salaries tax does not exceed 15% of gross income.

Additionally, all shortlisted candidates will be nominated for HKU’s Presidential Post-doctoral Fellowship. Each of these nominations potentially represents a 25% increase in salary, research funds and the optional extension of the fellowship for a third year. Address any specific questions to the Director at: [email protected].

The University only accepts online application for the above post. Applicants should apply at https://jobs.hku.hk/cw/en/job/502489/global-academic-fellow-3-posts. Applications require the following 4 components: 1) an updated C.V., 2) a 3-page research agenda (including past, current and future projects), 3) a list of at least three academic references, and 4) a writing sample (under 50 pages).

Closes January 1, 2021.

Hiring Announcement: Arizona State University; Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law

From an email message I received recently:

The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law invites applications for a faculty position in the area of Race & the Law. Both entry-level and lateral candidates will be considered.

Click here for additional information on the position.

Hiring Announcement: University of Alabama School of Law

From an email message that I received recently:

The University of Alabama School of Law seeks to fill as many as two tenure-track positions for the 2021-22 academic year. Candidates must have outstanding academic credentials, including a J.D. from an accredited law school or an equivalent degree (such as a Ph.D. in a related field). Entry-level candidates should demonstrate potential for strong teaching and scholarship. The primary focus of these positions is in Contracts and Torts; however, qualified applicants in other areas may be considered. Among our secondary interests are Family Law and Business Law. We welcome applications from candidates who approach scholarship from a variety of perspectives and methods. The University embraces diversity in its faculty, students, and staff, and we welcome applications from those who would add to the diversity of our academic community.

Interested candidates should apply online at https://facultyjobs.ua.edu/postings/47619. Salary, benefits, and research support will be nationally competitive. All applications are confidential to the extent permitted by state and federal law; the positions remain open until filled. Questions should be directed to Professor Fred Vars, Chair of the Faculty Appointments Committee ([email protected]).

The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, age, genetic or family medical history information, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other legally protected basis, and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants to and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. Follow the link below to find out more.
“EEO is the Law” http://www1.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/eeoc_self_print_poster.pdf
“EEO is the Law” Poster Supplement http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/OFCCP_EEO_Supplement_Final_JRF_QA_508c.pdf

A Well Deserved Pardon

This is a guest post by my colleague Steve Drizin, William M. Trumbull Clinical Professor of Law and co-director of the Center on Wrongful Convictions at the Bluhm Legal Clinic of the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law:

Congratulations to Ericka Lessane and Robert Cotter, two former students in the Bluhm Legal Clinic, who did stellar work on the clemency petition of Thomas Kim.  Today, Thomas read the words that every applicant for a pardon hopes to see:  

Now Know Ye, that I, JB Pritzker, Governor of the State of Illinois, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution of the State, do by these presents PARDON Thomas Kim.

 In 1993-1994, Thomas Kim, then only 15-16, and several of his friends from Von Steuben High School, executed a plan to rob a computer store and then a bank.  Inspired by the Patrick Swayze/Keanu Reeves surfer/bank robber film "Break Point," the teenagers donned masks,  armed themselves, and made a lot of noise as they scared the employees of these businesses half to death.  They filled their van with computer equipment and stuffed their bags with cash without leaving a trace.   

The crimes were a success.  Until they weren't. Teens talk.  They always do, especially when under the influence of alcohol.  One of their group let slip their secret, probably at a party, and before long, Thomas found himself surrounded by Chicago Police Department officers, assisted by FBI Agents, with guns drawn as he was driving his mother to the store.  Soon, Thomas was in a heap of trouble.  He was automatically transferred to criminal court (this would not have happened today as a result of work done by our Children and Family Justice Center) and was looking at some serious hard time for multiple Class X felonies. 

What's the Matter with the Mill? [Also, Len Barry (1942-2020)]

"What's the Matter with the Mill?" was originally recorded by Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe McCoy, although it was not one of their best known numbers. It is most memorable for the call-and-response refrain, with the title question answered "it done broke down." It has not been covered very often, which is too bad.

[Len Barry, lead singer of the Dovells, passed away on Thursday. There isn't enough material to do a full post on him, but be sure to check out the clip at the bottom of this post.]

Muddy Waters

Georgia State Law Searches for Dean

Georgia State University College of Law is searching for a dean:

Georgia State University (GSU), an R-1 research university located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, seeks a bold and dynamic leader to serve as dean of the College of Law. GSU invites inquiries, nominations and applications for this exciting opportunity to be part of a forward thinking and thriving institution. Georgia State is one of the most diverse universities in the nation, and the College of Law encourages applications from minorities, women and other diverse candidates.

Throughout its history, Georgia State Law has been a leader in innovative legal education. The College of Law offers outstanding programs and hands-on learning opportunities. Surrounded by business, government, nonprofit and cultural organizations, Georgia State Law provides a vibrant environment for gaining practical experience and engaging in interdisciplinary research. Located in a new, seven-story state-of-the-art facility on the GSU campus, the College of Law is committed to providing an excellent and affordable legal education to a diverse student body and promoting legal scholarship and service that advances the legal profession and the communities it serves.

The faculty and students work on the cutting edge of law practice, theory and technology, which drives the College's dynamic curriculum. The curriculum emphasizes an intensive, practice-based approach with creative opportunities for hands-on learning. Georgia State Law is committed to providing broad access and tuition affordability for more than 700 students enrolled in both full-time and flexible part-time programs. The College of Law has over 70 full-time faculty members who deliver a rigorous program of study that prepares students to enter the worlds of law, business and government at the highest level. More information is available at www.law.gsu.edu.

National Jurist has consistently placed the College among the top 5 “Best Value” law schools, and GSU law school graduates have among the lowest debt. U.S. News & World Report ranks the parttime program as No. 10 in the nation and the College’s Center for Law, Health, and Society as No. 2 in the nation. The faculty’s impressive scholarly quality and productivity led to an invitation to form an Order of the Coif Chapter in 2016, making it one of just nine schools to receive a Coif invitation since 2000.

Christian Turner on the Taboo Trades Podcast

You should definitely ease your election anxiety by listening to me and Christian Turner of the University of Georgia School of Law argue about why people have sex in the latest episode of the Taboo Trades podcast: "Market Segregation (& Football!) with Christian Turner." There's even some discussion of football, so there's something to satisfy everyone. (Okay, European football, but whatevs). 

 

You can also listen on apple podcasts and spotify.

Do Academic Announcements Need to Be Truthful?

My earlier post on the censoring of Leila Khaled, with a few updates, has been posted on the AAUP’s Academe Blog. In that essay, as readers may recall, I objected strongly to the canceling of Khaled’s webinars by Zoom and other tech companies. I also observed that the sponsors of the program had been disingenuous in their descriptions of Khaled as a “Palestinian activist” or something equally anodyne, while omitting her background as a two-time airplane hijacker and current PFLP operative. My point was that respect for academic freedom requires a reciprocal commitment to honesty and candor by academics. I did not expect that latter point to be controversial, but that was before I read the comments on the Academe Blog.

Professor Heike Schotten, a political scientist at UMass Boston, defended the elided description of Khaled in SFSU’s promotional materials, writing “the original SFSU webinar was not lying or being dishonest in describing Khaled as a “Palestinian militant, feminist, and leader,” but rather making an argument as to who she is and how she is best described.”

As I responded on the Academe Blog, Professor Schotten had unintentionally proven my point. If the promotional materials were intended as an argument, it was a stealth argument indeed, and one that deceptively omitted the most salient facts about Khaled. I have no quarrel with presenting advocacy on Khaled’s behalf, including the argument, clearly identified, that airplane hijacking, and other PFLP attacks over the past 40 years, ought to be considered militancy or activism.

But omitting the facts about Khaled is precisely the sort of misleading practice that must end if we are to expect businesses like Zoom to respect academic freedom. Describing Leila Khaled as only a “Palestinian militant, feminist, and leader” is a bit like describing Stephen Miller only as an “immigration reformer,” or David Duke as a “vigorous critic of international banking,” and rationalizing that as argument.

University of Chicago Legal Forum on the Law of the Next Pandemic

I'm excited to be part of this U. Chicago virtual symposium this Friday starting at 9 am Central.  There will be panels on government authority, federal courts, economic policy, and legal reactions and adaptations.  Attendance is free.  You can register and view a full agenda here.

 

The Areas of My Expertise

Ever since I began publishing in medical journals, I have been receiving bizarre invitations to submit articles, or otherwise contribute to -- let's call them "interesting" -- journals. These publications obviously have no idea about my scholarly chops, but that does not keep them from praising my work and explaining that I am just the right person to contribute whatever it is they are requesting -- an article, a commentary, joining the editorial board, peer review. I usually just ignore and delete these solicitations, but now and then they are sufficiently "interesting" to share. As in this one, that arrived today:

Dear Lubet S, 

Hope you are good. 

I am reaching out you about review of the following manuscript. Your comments will be helpful to increase the quality of the manuscript and we can provide error free information to the scientific community.

Title of the manuscript: Public policy support for Agroecology in Latin America: Lessons and Perspectives

Journal Name: Global Journal of Ecology

Please let us know your willingness to review this manuscript without delay.

Your rapid response and support will be highly solicited.

Best Regards,

Now, I have published on a broad range of subjects in medical, social science, and humanities journals, not to mention law reviews, but I have not once ever published anything remotely connected to agroecology in Latin America, or anywhere else.

For the record: I am pleased to do peer reviews, as I have often done, on antebellum and old west history, ethnography reforms, ME/CFS literature, legal ethics, and anything else reasonably in my wheelhouse. But I am no polymath, and I draw the line far away from agroecology.