The Faculty Lounge

AALS Section on Election Law Award Winners

From Joshua Sellers, the Chair of the AALS Section on Election Law:

The AALS Section on Election Law is pleased to announce the winners of its annual awards.

The John Hart Ely Prize in the Law of Democracy

This award is presented annually by the executive committee of the AALS Section on Election Law to a senior scholar in the field for his or her “extraordinary lifetime contributions to the study of election law and the law of democracy in the United States.” This year’s recipient is Daniel Lowenstein (UCLA).

Distinguished Scholarship Award in Election Law

This award is presented annually in recognition of “a single work that exemplifies excellence in the field and that is published in a given year.” Winners are chosen by a scholarship selection committee which, in some years, additionally awards an honorable mention. Because no award was given last year, this year the Section decided to recognize winners for the past two years.

The winner for 2025 is Travis Crum (Wash U – St. Louis) for his article, The Unabridged Fifteenth Amendment, 133 Yale Law Journal 1039 (2024).

The winner for 2024 is Jacob Eisler (Florida State) for his book “The Law of Freedom: The Supreme Court and Democracy” (Cambridge University Press, 2023).

The selection committee also decided to award an honorable mention to Nicholas Stephanopoulos (Harvard) for his book “Aligning Election Law” (Oxford University Press, 2024).

The winners will be recognized at the 2025 AALS Annual Meeting.

AALS Election Law Section Distinguished Scholarship Award Nominations

This just in:

The AALS Section on Election Law is soliciting submissions for its annual Distinguished Scholarship Award. This year, the Section will grant two awards, one for 2023 and one for 2024. Each award will be given to a single work that exemplifies excellence in the field. Any single work pertaining to election law, broadly defined, is eligible. If you have a submission, please e-mail a copy to me, [email protected], by Friday, September 6, with the subject line “Annual Scholarship Award Submission,” and a note about whether the work was published in 2023, or has been (or will be) published in 2024. Multiple submissions from a single author are permitted. Submissions will be passed along to a selection committee for review. 

Tenured Law Professor Summarily Terminated at St. Thomas University College of Law

Some regular readers of TFL know that I occasionally represent law professors in employment-related disputes.  And if these cases are of potentially wider interest to the law professor community and my clients want their cases to be publicized, I have occasionally posted about those cases.  Well, I have a new law professor client, and I believe her case meets both criteria. 

Professor Lauren Gilbert has been a faculty member at St. Thomas University Benjamin L. Crump College of Law (in Miami, not to be confused with University of St. Thomas Law School in Minnesota) since 2002.  She received tenure and promotion to full professor in 2009.   After 22 years of employment, and 15 as a full tenured professor, on July 18, 2024 her career came to a jarring end when she became what I believe to be the first tenured law professor at an ABA-Accredited Law School to be treated as an at-will employee and summarily terminated.

On that day, STUCL Dean Tarlika Nuñez-Navarro served Professor Gilbert with a Notice of Termination.  The letter notified her that she was terminated, effective immediately. She was given one day to clear out her office and return University property and was escorted on and off campus by campus security.

STUCL, like all ABA law schools, is required to have an academic freedom and tenure policy (See ABA Standard 405(b)), and it did.  The policy with respect to the termination of tenured professors is set forth in the College of Law’s Faculty Handbook.  Professor Gilbert’s employment contract explicitly incorporated the terms of the Faculty Handbook, and the Faculty Handbook states that its terms are incorporated into each faculty member’s contract.   The provisions related to the termination of tenured faculty members are quite clear and unambiguous. 

There is a section in the Handbook entitled, “Tenure, Promotion and Reappointment.”   Under the subsection entitled “Full-Time Faculty” Paragraph I. Application, it states:  “These regulations shall govern all decisions on the promotion, tenure, retention and termination of members of the faculty of law of the University.” In the following paragraph, entitled “Contracts” it is stated: “These procedures shall be incorporated by reference into each faculty member’s contract.”

The Handbook contains a section, entitled “VII. Standards and Procedures for Termination of a Faculty Member for Cause.”  This section states, in pertinent part:

1. Tenured Faculty Members. Once tenure is acquired, a contract of continuing employment exists which may be terminated only for adequate cause.

In case of termination for cause of a continuous appointment, or where facts may be in dispute, the affected faculty member shall be informed in writing of any charges or facts and shall have the right to both the Informal and Formal procedures approved by the Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure of the Association of American Law Schools (December 27, 1967), set forth in the Model Code of Procedure for Academic Freedom and Tenure 21 J.L. EDUCATION 222-34 (1968), and incorporated herein by reference.  Faculty members on continuous appointment who are dismissed for reasons not involving moral turpitude shall receive their salaries from the date of notification of dismissal, whether or not they are continued in their duties at the institution.

Citing these provisions, Professor Gilbert wrote to the University complaining that she had been wrongfully terminated and was entitled to these procedures.   She was referred to the University’s outside counsel.  At that point, she hired me.

Old Whine

There was a time in the early sixties when some popular male vocalists almost seemed to whine their lyrics, which were sometimes, though not always, whiney as well. Maybe they (or their producers) were trying to distinguish themselves from contemporaries such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Ray Charles. Or maybe they thought they were channeling Frankie Valli (they weren't).  I have no idea how or why the fad began, or exactly when it ended (which might have had something to do with the Beatles and the Stones, or Dylan). Some of the material was still really good; some really isn't. Once you've heard it, the vocal style is, well, memorable. Here are a few examples.

Kellye Testy Appointed AALS Executive Director and CEO

The Association of American Law Schools has announced that Kellye Testy will be its next Executive Director and CEO, taking over from Judy Areen who has been in the job for a decade.  Testy is currently President and CEO of LSAC and previously served as dean and professor of law at University of Washington School of Law and Seattle University Law.  She will assume the new role on July 1. 

Judy is, and has been, a transformational leader of AALS - and much the same can be said of Kellye's work at LSAC.  I am excited anticipating the continued success of the AALS as both the representative of law schools writ large and the discipline's learned society. 

Come Say Hi at the AALS

Something like a quarter of all law school faculty are arriving in Washington right now for the 2024 Association of American Law Schools annual meeting.  If you are amongst this crowd, please stop by the Philadelphia Law Schools Reception tomorrow, Thursday January 4,  between 6:30 and 8 to say hello.  We'll be in the Silver Linden Room on the mezzanine of the Marriott.  Penn, Temple, Villanova and of course my school - Drexel - are sponsoring. And our reception is the one place you'll be able to buttonhole AALS President Mark Alexander!

Call for Award Nominations: AALS Federal Courts Section

This just in:

The AALS Section on Federal Courts is pleased to announce that it is seeking nominations for the new Daniel J. Meltzer Award, which is designed to honor the life and work of the late Professor Meltzer. The Award will recognize a professor of Federal Courts who has exemplified over the course of their career Professor Meltzer’s excellence in teaching, careful and ground-breaking scholarship, engagement in issues of public importance, generosity as a colleague, and overall contribution to the field of Federal Courts. Eligible nominees are those who are full-time faculty members at AALS member or affiliate schools and have not served as an officer of the Federal Courts Section in the two previous years. It is not required that the award be given out in any particular year, and it may not be given out more frequently than every three years. 

Nominations (and questions about the award) should be directed to Prof. Merritt McAlister ([email protected]). Without exception, all nominations must be received by 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on September 29, 2023. Nominations will be reviewed by a prize committee consisting of Professors Amanda Frost (University of Virginia School of Law), Tara Leigh Grove (University of Texas School of Law), Marin Levy (Duke University School of Law), Merritt McAlister (University of Florida Levin College of Law), and James Pfander (Northwestern Pritzker School of Law).  If the committee decides to make the award, it will be announced at the Federal Courts section program at the 2024 AALS Annual Meeting.

AALS Federal Courts Section Best Untenured Article Award

The AALS Section on Federal Courts is pleased to announce the annual award for the best article on the law of federal jurisdiction by a full-time, untenured faculty member at an AALS member or affiliate school—and to solicit nominations (including self-nominations) for the prize to be awarded at the 2024 AALS Annual Meeting.

The purpose of the award program is to recognize outstanding scholarship in the field of federal courts by untenured faculty members. To that end, eligible articles are those specifically in the field of Federal Courts that were published by a recognized journal during the twelve-month period ending on September 1, 2023 (date of actual publication determines eligibility). Eligible authors are those who, at the close of nominations (i.e., as of September 15, 2023), are untenured, full-time faculty members at AALS member or affiliate schools, and have not previously won the award. Nominations (and questions about the award) should be directed to Prof. Merritt McAlister at the University of Florida Levin College of Law ([email protected]).

Without exception, all nominations must be received by 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on September 15, 2023. Nominations will be reviewed by a prize committee comprised of Professors Rachel Bayefsky (University of Virginia School of Law), Paul Gugliuzza (Temple University Beasley School of Law), Marin Levy (Duke University School of Law), Merritt McAlister (University of Florida Levin College of Law), and Fred Smith (Emory University School of Law), with the result announced at the Federal Courts section program at the 2023 AALS Annual Meeting.

 

CFPs from AALS Section on Minority Groups -- WIP/New Voices + Pedagogy Panels

The AALS Section on Minority Groups is excited to announce its programming for the AALS Annual Meeting held January 3-6, 2024, in Washington, D.C.  The Section will host a main program, Works-In-Progress/New Voices session, and pedagogy panel.  Below is a brief description of each program and links to additional information regarding: calls for proposals and papers; deadlines; and contact information for individuals able to answer further questions. 

Main Program (co-sponsored by the AALS Sections on Critical Theories, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues, Poverty Law, and Women in Legal Education)

Everything Old is New Again

Every day seems to present a new crisis of democracy.  Shifts in judicial deference to history and tradition, executive actions, and legislative initiatives disproportionally impacting diverse and marginalized communities—and the rhetoric surrounding them—have caused many scholars, community leaders, and activists to draw parallels between the modern political and social atmosphere and the atmosphere of the Jim Crow era and the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. How accurate are these comparisons? If we truly are reliving a version of this part of history, how important is it to also understand the resistance and opposition movements and strategies that ultimately lead to change? What lessons does this history offer to the legal profession today? This panel will examine both whether there is a resurgence in the political and social dynamics of the Jim Crow era and to what extent resistance movements and strategies may inform pushes for social change today. For additional information, click here.

Works-In-Progress/New Voices Session

 

Infrastructures of (In)justice

Recent years have witnessed growing political and scholarly attention to how infrastructure, both material and intangible, can perpetuate injustice or promote justice. Scholarship has increasingly repudiated fixed, neutral views of infrastructure, instead construing infrastructure as a tool of power. The concept of infrastructural injustice has underpinned scholarship in diverse areas of law, including property law (e.g., housing), environmental law (e.g., water pollution), immigration law (e.g., transnational mobility), law and technology (e.g., algorithmic bias and digital redlining), and legal research and writing (e.g., critical legal research). While infrastructural justice is imperative for democracy to flourish, achieving it often remains elusive. We invite submissions addressing infrastructural (in)justice, broadly defined, including critiques and models for reform.  For further information, click here.

Pedagogy Panel

Democracy in Crisis: A Pedagogical Response in the Legal Academy

Democracy is in crisis. From the judiciary to the legislative and executive branches, decisions are being made that target or disproportionately affect and disenfranchise underserved communities. Persistent injustices we have witnessed over recent years have triggered a reckoning in many institutional spaces, including American law schools. Considering the critical role that that law schools play in shaping our democracy, concerned law professors and deans are evaluating their courses and curricula to address ways to promote justice within the legal system in the United States.  This panel considers the role legal education plays in defending democracy by incorporating social justice into law school curricula. Panelists will discuss integrating related teaching methods into their courses and the law curriculum more generally. Panelists will also discuss the challenges, barriers, and solutions to attempts to resist justice-infused legal curricula. For further information, click here.

Call for Papers: Works-in-Progress on Methods of Inquiry on Defending Democracy

Posting on behalf of Prof John Linarelli ...

 

Call for Papers: Works-in-Progress on Methods of Inquiry on Defending Democracy

AALS 2024 Annual Meeting, January 3-6, 2024, Washington DC

Submission Deadline: August 3, 2023

The AALS Scholarship Section is very pleased to issue this call for papers for a Works in Progress session on "Methods of Inquiry on Defending Democracy" for the upcoming AALS 2024 Annual Meeting. This session aims to provide a platform for sharing ongoing research and scholarly work related to the study of democracy and its various aspects. Aligned with the mission of the Scholarship Section, we enthusiastically invite submissions from scholars, researchers, and practitioners interested in exploring innovative methodologies and approaches to investigating the defense of democracy. The Works in Progress session will provide an opportunity for authors to present and discuss their ongoing research. Each presenter will be allocated a specific time slot to share their work and receive feedback from fellow participants.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

1. Qualitative and quantitative methods in the study of the legal institutions of democracy.
2. Comparative analyses of democratic processes.
3. Experimental designs and surveys in the study of legal institutions and behavior.
4. Case studies and historical analysis of law and democratic institutions.
5. Intersectional approaches to democracy and identity politics.
6. Methodological challenges in studying democracy in different contexts.

We welcome interdisciplinary submissions that focus on the intersections between law and political science, history, economics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and related fields. Empirical, experimental, and theoretical contributions are encouraged.

Submission Guidelines:

• Abstracts should be a maximum of 300 words.
• Include the title of your work, name(s) of the author(s), institutional affiliation(s), and contact information.
• Please indicate whether your submission is at an early stage or near completion.
• One submission per person is permitted.
• Submissions should be sent to Professor John Linarelli, Chair, AALS Scholarship Section, [email protected].

Review Process: All submissions will undergo a peer review process to ensure the quality and relevance of the contributions. Accepted authors will be required to submit a draft paper by November 15, 2023. Discussants will be assigned to read and comment on each paper.

We look forward to your contributions and active participation in this stimulating event. Should you have any questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

My Guy

Call for Nominations: AALS Federal Courts Section

This just in:

The AALS Section on Federal Courts is pleased to announce the annual award for the best article on the law of federal jurisdiction by a full-time, untenured faculty member at an AALS member or affiliate school—and to solicit nominations (including self-nominations) for the prize to be awarded at the 2023 AALS Annual Meeting.

The purpose of the award program is to recognize outstanding scholarship in the field of federal courts by untenured faculty members. To that end, eligible articles are those specifically in the field of Federal Courts that were published by a recognized journal during the twelve-month period ending on September 1, 2022 (date of actual publication determines eligibility). Eligible authors are those who, at the close of nominations (i.e., as of September 15, 2022), are untenured, full-time faculty members at AALS member or affiliate schools, and have not previously won the award. Nominations (and questions about the award) should be directed to Prof. Diego Zambrano at Stanford Law School ([email protected]).

Without exception, all nominations must be received by 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on September 15, 2022. Nominations will be reviewed by a prize committee comprised of Professors Merritt McAlister (University of Florida Levin College of Law), Richard Re (University of Virginia), Mila Sohoni (University of San Diego School of Law), Steve Vladeck (University of Texas), and Diego Zambrano (Stanford) with the result announced at the Federal Courts section program at the 2023 AALS Annual Meeting.

AALS Section on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Programming Survey

From national colleagues:

The NEW AALS Section on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging is seeking your input for programming at the 2023 AALS Annual Meeting, How Law Schools Can Make a Difference, January 4-7, 2023, in San Diego. The section, which you may join here, is open to all members - both faculty and administrators - of AALS, not just those individuals with DEIB roles at their law schools. The greater the response, the more likely that the programming will reflect the needs and interest of the AALS membership. 

Please take a moment to complete the brief (anonymous) survey linked to this email. The survey will remain open until Friday, July 8^th. Thanks in advance.

Call for Nominations for the AALS Section on Women in Legal Education 2023 Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lifetime Achievement Award

The AALS Section on Women in Legal Education is pleased to open nominations for its 2023 Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2013, the inaugural award honored Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Subsequent winners include Catharine A. MacKinnon (2014), Herma Hill Kay (2015), Marina Angel (2016), Martha Albertson Fineman (2017), Tamar Frankel (2018), Phoebe Haddon (2019), Robin West (2020), Kimberlé Crenshaw (2021), and Camille De Jorna (2022). All of these remarkable women were recognized for their outstanding impact and contributions to the Section on Women in Legal Education, the legal academy, and the legal profession.

The purpose of the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lifetime Achievement Award is to honor an individual who has had a distinguished career of teaching, service, and scholarship for at least 20 years. The recipient should be someone who has impacted women, the legal community, the academy, and the issues that affect women through mentoring, writing, speaking, activism, and by providing opportunities to others.

The Section is now seeking nominations for this most prestigious award. Only individuals who are eligible for Section membership may make a nomination, and only individuals—not institutions, organizations, or law schools—are eligible for the award. More than one person may nominate the same candidate; however, the number of nominations for any one nominee is not determinative of the winner. As established by the Section’s Bylaws, the AALS Section on Women in Legal Education Executive Committee will select the award recipient, and the award will be presented at the 2022 AALS Annual Meeting.

SUBMISSION: Nominations should be submitted to Angela Onwuachi-Willig, Treasurer, AALS WILE, [email protected] with the header “RBG Nomination-AALS 2023.”

DEADLINE: September 6, 2022.

Call for Nominations: AALS Federal Courts Section

This just in:

The AALS Section on Federal Courts is pleased to announce the annual award for the best article on the law of federal jurisdiction by a full-time, untenured faculty member at an AALS member or affiliate school—and to solicit nominations (including self-nominations) for the prize to be awarded at the 2022 AALS Annual Meeting.

The purpose of the award program is to recognize outstanding scholarship in the field of federal courts by untenured faculty members. To that end, eligible articles are those specifically in the field of Federal Courts that were published by a recognized journal during the twelve-month period ending on September 1, 2021 (date of actual publication determines eligibility). Eligible authors are those who, at the close of nominations (i.e., as of September 15, 2021), are untenured, full-time faculty members at AALS member or affiliate schools, and have not previously won the award. Nominations (and questions about the award) should be directed to Prof. Leah Litman at the University of Michigan Law School ([email protected]). Without exception, all nominations must be received by 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on September 15, 2021. Nominations will be reviewed by a prize committee comprised of Professors Curt Bradley (University of Chicago), Maggie Gardner (Cornell), Leah Litman (Michigan), Joanna Schwartz (UCLA), and Diego Zambrano (Stanford), with the result announced at the Federal Courts section program at the 2022 AALS Annual Meeting.

Call for Submissions for the Distinguished Scholarship Award in Election Law

In addition to the John Hart Ely Prize, the AALS Section on Election Law has established a second professional award this year: the Distinguished Scholarship Award in Election Law.

This prize will be awarded annually for “a single work that exemplifies excellence in the field and that is published within a given year.” The term “work” is defined broadly.  

Any scholarly work that has been published in 2019 or 2020 will be eligible for this year's award. If you have published an article, book, or other piece of scholarship and wish for it to be considered for this award, please let Gene Mazo, Chair of the Section on Election Law, know by Monday, December 7, 2020. You can write to him at [email protected].

Columbia’s Richard Briffault Wins John Hart Ely Prize in the Law of Democracy

This just in from Gene Mazo:

The AALS Section on Election Law has established a new lifetime achievement award: the John Hart Ely Prize in the Law of Democracy. This prize will henceforth be presented annually by the Section’s executive committee to a senior scholar for his or her "extraordinary lifetime contributions to election law or the law of democracy in the United States." The John Hart Ely Prize is intended to serve as the most prestigious award in the field of election law.

We are very pleased to announce that the inaugural winner of the John Hart Ely Prize is Professor Richard Briffault of Columbia Law School.

Professor Briffault has taught election law longer than any other active scholar in the American legal academy. He is the author of more than 75 law review articles, in the process profoundly influencing our understanding of public funding, campaign finance, state and local government law, and other topics in the law of democracy.

The John Hart Ely Prize will be presented to Professor Briffault at an AALS awards ceremony on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 1:15 p.m. If you will be attending AALS this year, please try to make it.

Congratulations to Richard!

Hiring Announcement: Drake Law School (Entry Level and Lateral)

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT – ASSISTANT/ASSOCIATE/PROFESSOR OF LAW

Drake University Law School invites applications from entry level and lateral candidates for a tenure-track or tenured Assistant/Associate/Professor of Law position beginning in the 2021-22 academic year.  We are especially interested in candidates with demonstrated interest or experience in Contracts, Sales, Tax, Intellectual Property, and Family Law. Applicants must hold a J.D. degree (or the equivalent) and should have a record of academic excellence, substantial academic or practice experience, and a passion for teaching. Appointment rank will be determined commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications and experience.

Drake University Law School sustains a vibrant intellectual culture, and Des Moines has been recognized as the Best Place to Live (US News), the Best Place for Young Professionals (Forbes), and as the #1 Best U.S. City for Business (MarketWatch). The Law School features innovative and nationally recognized programs in agricultural law, constitutional law, legal research and writing, and practical training.

Drake University is an equal opportunity employer and actively seeks applicants who reflect the nation’s diversity.  No applicant shall be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, religion, age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information or veteran status. Diversity is one of Drake’s core values and applicants need to demonstrate an ability to work with individuals and groups of diverse socioeconomic, cultural, sexual orientation, disability, and/or ethnic backgrounds.

Confidential review of applications will begin immediately. Applications (including a letter of interest, a complete CV, teaching evaluations (if available), a diversity statement, and the names and addresses of at least three references) should be sent to Professor Ellen Yee, Chair, Faculty Appointments Committee, Drake University Law School, 2507 University Ave., Des Moines, IA 50311 or e-mail: [email protected]

Two Upcoming Events on Professional Responsibility Scholarship and Teaching

Two terrific virtual events are taking place over the next couple of weeks related to Professional Responsibility scholarship and teaching. All are welcome!

July 30, AALS Section on Professional Responsibility Virtual Workshop Conference

Session 1: Too Cerebral? High-Achieving Women in the Legal Profession

Presenter: Milan Markovic (Professor of Law – Texas A&M University School of Law)

Commentator: Atinuke (Tinu) Adediran ( Assistant Professor of Law – Boston College Law School)

Time: Jul 30, 2020 09:00 AM PDT (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86274468670

Session 2: Ethics in Pandemics: The Lawyer for the (Crisis) Situation

Presenter: Raymond H. Brescia (Professor of Law – Albany Law School)

Commentator: Leslie Levin (UConn School of Law)

Time: Jul 30, 2020 10:00 AM PDT (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83257373923

Session 3: Unnatural Law: AI, Consciousness, Ethics, and Law

Presenter: Joshua Davis (Professor of Law – University of San Francisco School of Law) 

Commentator: Elysa Dishman, (Associate Professor of Law—Bingham Young University)

Time: Jul 30, 2020 11:00 AM PDT (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83013099983

Session 4: Conditioning Settlement Offers on Waiver or Non-Payment of Contractual Attorney’s Fees 

Presenter: Russell Christopher (Professor of Law – University of Tulsa) 

Commentator: Seth Katsuya Endo (Assistant Professor of Law – University of Florida Levin School of Law)

Time: Jul 30, 2020 12:00 PDT (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81419702558 

August 4, Webinar on Excellence in Teaching Professional Responsibility Online

The Program for the Advancement of Legal Ethics at Texas A&M University School of Law is hosting a webinar from 3-4PM Central to help you plan and consider best practices for teaching Professional Responsibility courses in the virtual environment. Presenters include:

• Alberto Bernabe, Professor of Law, University of Illinois at Chicago, John Marshall Law School

• Susan Carle, Professor and Vice Dean, Washington College of Law at American University

• Ellen Murphy, Professor of Practice; Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives, Wake Forest School of Law

• Margaret Tarkington, Professor of Law, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law

• Susan Saab Fortney, Professor of Law and Director, Program for the Advancement of Legal Ethics, Texas A&M School of Law

AALS Fed Courts Section Seeks Nominations for Meltzer Award, Best Untenured Article

These just in:

AALS Federal Courts Section - Daniel J. Meltzer Award: Call for Nominations

The AALS Section on Federal Courts is pleased to announce that it is seeking nominations for the Daniel J. Meltzer Award, which is designed to honor the life and work of the late Professor Meltzer. The Award recognizes a professor of Federal Courts who has exemplified over the course of their career Professor Meltzer’s excellence in teaching, careful and ground-breaking scholarship, engagement in issues of public importance, generosity as a colleague, and overall contribution to the field of Federal Courts.

Eligible nominees are those who are full-time faculty members at AALS member or affiliate schools, have not previously won the award, and have not served as an officer of the Federal Courts Section in the two previous years. It is not required that the award be given out in any particular year, and it may not be given out more frequently than every three years.

Nominations (and questions about the award) should be directed to Prof. Seth Davis at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law ([email protected]). Without exception, all nominations must be received by 11:59 p.m. (EDT) on September 15, 2020. Nominations will be reviewed by a prize committee consisting of Professors Seth Davis (Berkeley), Gillian Metzger (Columbia), James Pfander (Northwestern), and Carlos Vázquez (Georgetown). If the committee decides to make the award, it will be announced at the Federal Courts section program at the 2021 AALS Annual Meeting.

AALS Federal Courts Section - Best Untenured Article on Federal Jurisdiction: Call for Nominations

The AALS Section on Federal Courts is pleased to announce the annual award for the best article on the law of federal jurisdiction by a full-time, untenured faculty member at an AALS member or affiliate school—and to solicit nominations (including self-nominations) for the prize to be awarded at the 2021 AALS Annual Meeting.

AALS Faculty Focus Webinars for Early Career Faculty

Posted at the request of the AALS:

AALS Faculty Focus Webinars for Early Career Faculty

AALS is launching a webinar series, Faculty Focus, to address some of the challenges brought on by COVID-19 that might be particularly disruptive for early career tenure-track, clinical, and legal writing faculty.

The first series of topics will focus on how faculty might best allocate their time this summer, beginning with Work-Life Balance and the Demands of Scholarship, Tuesday, June 9 at 4 pm ET/1 pm PT.

Hosted by deans Darby Dickerson (UIC John Marshall) and Vincent Rougeau (Boston College), Faculty Focus webinars will be held every Tuesday afternoon. Each 60-minute webinar will feature expert advice from law school leaders followed by shared experiences from early career law faculty. The sessions will be structured to encourage conversation and connection, as well as provide opportunities for participants to crowdsource solutions and discuss common issues across schools and teaching areas.

Details and registration information can be found on the AALS Faculty Focus webpage at www.aals.org/events/faculty-focus.

Fred C. Zacharias Memorial Prize for Scholarship in Professional Responsibility

Submissions and nominations of articles are being accepted for the eleventh annual Fred C. Zacharias Memorial Prize for Scholarship in Professional Responsibility.  To honor Fred’s memory, the committee will select from among articles in the field of Professional Responsibility with a publication date of 2020.  The prize will be awarded at the 2021 AALS Annual Meeting in San Francisco.  Please send submissions and nominations to Professor Samuel Levine at Touro Law Center: [email protected].  The deadline for submissions and nominations is September 1, 2020.