The Faculty Lounge

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.

Call for Papers - Legal and Judicial Ethics in the Post-#MeToo World - AALS Annual Meeting

Call for Papers

AALS Section on Professional Responsibility 2021

Co-Sponsored by AALS Sections on Civil Rights,

Employment Discrimination Law, Leadership, and Minority Groups

Legal and Judicial Ethics in the Post-#MeToo World

The Section on Professional Responsibility seeks papers addressing the role of legal and judicial ethics in the Post-#MeToo world. This program calls for scholars to confront big questions facing the profession about sexual discrimination, harassment and other misconduct. In 2016, the American Bar Association amended Model Rule 8.4(g)  to say that it is professional misconduct to “engage in conduct that the lawyer knows or reasonably should know is harassment or discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status or socio-economic status in conduct related to the practice of law.” Few jurisdictions have adopted this change, and some explicitly rejected it on First Amendment grounds. In 2019, the federal judiciary amended the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges to make clear that misconduct includes engaging in unwanted, offensive, or abusive sexual conduct and to protect those who report misconduct, but some argue the reforms do not go far enough and they do not apply to state judges or to the U.S. Supreme Court. Congress held hearings on sexual misconduct in the federal judiciary in early 2020. Lawyers and members of the judiciary have avoided investigations into credible allegations of sexual assault, discrimination, and harassment by resigning their positions, only to move on in other positions in the legal profession and, in some instances, repeating the same misconduct. Headlines regularly feature attorneys and their involvement in sexual misconduct in the workplace and beyond, whether as bystanders, facilitators, or perpetrators. This program seeks contributions to address these complex and controversial issues. Panelists will discuss the role of lawyer and judicial ethics as a means to remedy the enduring sexual misconduct in the legal profession and beyond.  Jaime Santos, founder of Law Clerks for Workplace Accountability and commentator for the acclaimed podcast Strict Scrutiny, is confirmed as a presenter. At least two additional presenters will be competitively selected from this call for papers.

Topics discussed at the program might include:

• Does ABA Model Rule 8.4(g) addressing sexual harassment run afoul of the First Amendment? 
• Is ABA Model Rule 8.4(g) merely a values statement or is it a source for discipline?
• What obligations, if any, do disciplinary authorities have to investigate credible, public information about alleged sexual misconduct by the lawyers licensed to practice in their jurisdictions?
• Should regulators adopt new rules or policies to address sexual misconduct, including the ability of lawyers and judges to avoid investigations by resigning their positions?
• If other areas of law (criminal, civil) do not cover aspects of sexual misconduct, is there a role for professional conduct rules to do so because of the lawyer’s special role in society?
• What reporting obligations do law schools have as they certify students’ fitness in bar admission applications? How does this fit within the Title IX framework?
• Should ethical rules on sexual misconduct that apply to the federal judiciary also apply to the U.S Supreme Court?
• How should reporting systems be improved?

To be considered, please email your paper to Renee Knake, Chair of the Section on Professional Responsibility, no later than August 1, 2020 at [email protected] Preference will be given to completed papers, though works-in-progress are eligible for selection.  The Call for Paper presenters will be responsible for paying their registration fee and hotel and travel expenses.  Please note that AALS anticipates that the Annual Meeting will go forward (https://am.aals.org/), and the theme is The Power of Words.

AALS CFP: Outsourced Borders and Invisible Walls

This just in:

The Section on Immigration Law of the Association of American Law Schools invites papers for presentation at its principal session during the 2021 AALS Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California, which will take place January 5-9, 2021. This session has not yet been scheduled. We will send updated information when we have it. Please note that individuals presenting at the program are responsible for their own Annual Meeting registration fee and travel expenses

The Session theme is: “Outsourced Borders and Invisible Walls.”

This panel explores the many ways that the U.S. government relies on outsourced borders and invisible walls in its immigration policy. In recent years, the U.S. has outsourced many of its immigration enforcement functions. The federal government has delegated power and responsibility for immigration enforcement to state and local governments, to private actors, and to foreign governments. In its operation of and within detention facilities that are privately owned and maintained, its formal and informal collaboration with Mexican border agents and police, in its reliance on private contractors for building a border wall, and more, the U.S. government extensively leverages other entities and governments in its immigration enforcement efforts.

At the same time, the government has constructed a number of invisible barriers to immigration. In recent years, the White House has leveraged its control of administrative agencies to promote new barriers to immigration. Agencies and actors formally charged with protecting immigrants and workers have been repurposed to bolster immigration enforcement efforts. The resulting barriers block access to opportunities to immigrate legally under existing law and complicate individuals’ efforts to regularize their immigration status.

This panel will assess these outsourced borders and invisible walls, unpack the history behind them, and discuss the impact that these developments have had on democratic accountability and on the rights of migrants and long-term U.S. residents, including citizens.

Submission Guidelines: The deadline for submissions is August 15, 2020. We welcome submissions at any stage of development, although preference may be given to more fully developed papers over abstracts and paper proposals. Priority also will be given to individuals who have not recently presented a paper at the AALS Annual Meeting. Decisions will be made by September 30, 2020.

Please email submissions in Microsoft Word format to [email protected] with the subject “AALS Submission.” In your email, please indicate whether you have previously presented your work at an AALS Annual Meeting, and if so, when and in what capacity.

Inquiries: Please direct any questions or inquiries to Jennifer M. Chacón ([email protected]) and Kit Johnson ( [email protected])

AALS CFP: New Voices in Immigration Law

This just in:

The Section on Immigration Law of the Association of American Law Schools invites papers and works in progress for its “New Voices in Immigration Law” session at the 2021 AALS Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, which will take place January 5-9, 2021. This session has not yet been scheduled. 

This session will be structured as a series of simultaneous works-in-progress discussions, rather than as a panel. Preselected commentators will lead small-group round-table discussions of papers.

Submissions may address any aspect of immigration and citizenship law. We also welcome papers that explore these topics from alternative disciplines or perspectives.

Please note that individuals presenting at the program are responsible for their own Annual Meeting registration fee and travel expenses.

Submission Guidelines: The deadline for submissions is August 15, 2020. Feel free to submit an abstract, a précis, or a work-in-progress. Priority will be given to individuals who have never presented an immigration law paper at the AALS Annual Meeting, works not yet published or submitted for publication, and junior scholars.

Please email submissions in Microsoft Word format to [email protected] (Subject: AALS 2021: New Voices in Immigration Law). In your email, please indicate how you meet our selection priorities. If you have participated on previous AALS panels, please indicate when and in what capacity.

Inquiries: Please direct any questions or inquiries to Kit Johnson ([email protected]).

Organize an AALS Panel!

Did you know that you can organize a session at the 2021 annual AALS meeting without being affiliated with an AALS Section?  You can!  The AALS will take proposals for four different types of non-section sponsored events:

• Open Source programs are traditional scholarly programs other than those sponsored by one of the AALS Sections. Proposals due April 13.

• Discussion Groups provide a setting for discussions among a small group of invited participants. Attendees are welcome. Proposals due April 13.

• Symposia are extended sessions (half a day or longer) that focus on in-depth scholarly exploration of a topic of academic interest. Proposals due May 11.

• Hot Topic programs focus on topics that emerged too late in the year to be included in other types of programs. Proposals due October 19. Proposals directly related to the outcome of the November 2020 elections and that could not be proposed in time for the October deadline are due November 16.

Go here for more details.

Reminder: Philly Law School Reception is Tonight

For those attending the AALS, four Philadelphia area schools - Villanova, Temple, Penn and Drexel - will be hosting a reception tonight.  All are welcome.  Details here.