AALS Section on Leadership

Tania Luma moderated a captivating discussion for our 2026 AALS annual meeting program, Impact, Excellence, Resilience, and Professional Integrity: Educating Lawyers as Leaders. Panelists were: William Bay, a partner at Thompson Coburn LLP and the American Bar Association’s Immediate Past President; Austen L. Parrish, Dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Law and AALS 2025 President;  James E. Graves, Jr., United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit; and Cory T. Wilson, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The discussion focused on the legal profession’s obligation to ensure the integrity of its members and the stability of legal institutions. The conversation was particularly important and timely in the face of recent growing partisanship, declining civility, and low levels of social trust. The session explored different perspectives on what principled leadership looks like in contexts of uncertainty and raised questions about free speech, the rule of law, the nature of democratic legitimacy, and how law schools might better prepare law students for the dynamic environment of the legal profession. To access the audio recording of the program, go to Impact, Excellence, Resilience, and Professional Integrity: Educating Lawyers as Leaders.

At the 2026 AALS annual meeting, the Section on Leadership also cosponsored Doing Well-Being Without Losing Your Mind: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Law Student, Faculty, and Staff Well-Being with the Section on Balance & Well-Being in Legal Education.

The AALS Section on Leadership is delighted to welcome Joshua P. Fershee, Daisy Hurst Floyd, and Gregory W. Bowman to the Executive Committee.

Greg Bowman, Dean and Professor of Law at Roger Williams University School of Law, brings experience in legal practice and legal education (with substantial service to AALS, the Law School Admission Council, and the Southeastern Association of Law Schools) and a record of scholarship on strategic and operational leadership to the Executive Committee.  Under Greg’s leadership, Roger Williams Law established an Institute for Race and the Law in 2024.

Josh Fershee, Dean and Professor of Law at Creighton University School of Law, brings extensive experience in academic administration, faculty development, and program innovation to the Executive Committee, including prior service as an associate dean and director of LL.M. programs at West Virginia University College of Law. His practice and academic background are in energy and business law.

Daisy Floyd, Dean Emerita of Mercer University School of Law, served two terms as dean and later as University Professor of Law and Ethical Formation. A nationally respected leader in professional identity formation, she has written extensively about legal ethics and professionalism and coauthored The Formation of Professional Identity: The Path from Student to Lawyer. After retiring from full-time faculty at Mercer, she is teaching part-time at Georgia State University College of Law.

We are grateful for the experience, insight, and commitment to developing principled leaders that all three bring to the Section’s work.

Revisiting the Teaching of Lawyer Leadership: Empirics, Skills, and Values, April 29, 2026

Joan Heminway, Director of Clayton Center for Entrepreneurial Law and Rick Rose Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Tennessee Winston College of Law, moderated a discussion with Professors Hillary Sale, Agnes Williams Sesquicentennial Professor of Leadership and Corporate Governance and Professor of Management at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, and Kate Schaffzin, Director of the Reeves Institute for Professional Leadership and Douglas A. Blaze Distinguished Professor of Law at The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law, about their work teaching and researching lawyer leadership. They shared observations from their research and offered key insights on why researching and teaching lawyer leadership remains so important in an era of rapid legal change, what leadership knowledge and skills lawyers need to survive and thrive, and what law teachers can do to foster that knowledge and those skills. Watch the recording at Revisiting the Teaching of Lawyer Leadership: Empirics, Skills and Values.

AI & Leadership, June 25, 2026

April Barton, Dean and Professor of Law at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University, and Leah Teague, Professor of Law and Director of Leadership Development at Baylor University School of Law, discussed the impact of generative AI on the landscape of legal practice, emphasizing that the need for leadership development is even greater because of that impact. While AI excels at information processing and task automation, the irreducible core of legal practice remains beyond the reach of any algorithm. Sound judgment, sophisticated analysis, authentic advocacy, meaningful communication, emotional intelligence, relationship and trust building, conflict resolution, consensus building, and the full range of leadership and management competencies are essential components of a lawyer’s professional obligations. Watch the recording at AI & Leadership • AALS.

Leadership Development in Legal Education: Building Programs That Fit Your Law School, July 29, 2026

Jennifer A. Henfey, Associate Dean for Professional Development and Leadership, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, Greg Miarecki, Executive Assistant Dean for Career Planning and Professional Development, Lecturer in Law, University of Illinois College of Law, and Leah Teague, Professor of Law and Director of Leadership Development, Baylor University Law School, lead a conversation about opportunities and challenges of creating and building leadership development programming at law schools. They began by sharing examples of leadership programming at their schools. In a 10-minute Speed Round segment, audience members shared aspect of the leadership development programming from their schools.  The remainder of the program was a conversation about strategies for creating, adapting, or expanding leadership development efforts that are both meaningful and institutionally sustainable. Watch the recording at ADD

As you prepare your courses and programs for the 2026–27 academic year, we encourage you to explore the Section’s webpage on the AALS website. The site includes a growing collection of resources relevant to Section members, including links to leadership course syllabi, information about upcoming webinars, recordings of past Section webinars, and prior editions of this newsletter. These materials may be especially helpful as you plan for the new academic year or consider developing or expanding leadership programming at your law school.

Recently Published Scholarship on Leadership Development for Law Students and Lawyers

In our last newsletter, we introduced a new recurring feature in the AALS on Leadership Newsletter highlighting recent publications that advance the study, teaching, and practice of legal leadership. This section spotlights scholarship that deepens our understanding of how lawyers are formed as leaders, how leadership is cultivated in legal education, and how leadership shapes the profession and its institutions.

We invite Section members to share abstracts from their recent leadership-related publications for possible inclusion in future newsletters. If you or your colleagues have recently published scholarship that advances leadership development in legal education, the profession, or related fields, please send the citation and the abstract or brief description to the Newsletter Editor. We look forward to continuing to showcase the outstanding leadership scholarship being produced across our community.

Tamar Ezer, “Teaching a Social Justice Approach to Leadership in Law Schools,” 32 Clinical L. Rev. 313 (Spring 2026). https://www.law.nyu.edu/sites/default/files/2026-03/Ezer—Social-Justice-Leadership.pdf

Abstract: “Leadership is critical for social justice. Our law students have the potential to serve as future social justice leaders, building strong organizations and movements to carry out this work. Drawing on both leadership theory and practical examples from clinical legal education, this piece argues for a broad definition of leadership, embracing diversity and encompassing the counter-cultural values of listening and humility. It further proposes a three-dimensional model of social justice leadership, engaging the mind, heart, and spirit, and suggests teaching practices to strengthen each component. The first dimension focuses on cognitive competencies, including substantive mastery of an area of law and relevant interdisciplinary frameworks, as well as strategic thinking and project management skills. The second dimension focuses on emotional intelligence, including both personal and interpersonal competencies with an emphasis on fostering resilience, collaboration, and empathy. The final component focuses on ethics and the development of self-reflective and socially conscious practitioners, as well as energizing the spirit through the cultivation of hope.”  

Joshua P. Fershee, “Reimagining Legal Education: The Role And Purpose Of Law Schools In Modern Society-A Values-Driven Approach To Modern Legal Education,” 57 Toledo L. Rev. 229 (2026). https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6302960

Abstract: “Our great nation, despite its flaws, was founded on the idea that the rule of law applies to everyone. The United States Constitution tells us that no person shall “be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”  This principle, though not always embraced in the way it should be, remains the foundation for a just (or more just) society.  That principle predated our Constitution. In 1770, when John Adams and other attorneys represented British soldiers after the Boston Massacre, they took clients who were reviled because they believed that everyone should be provided a proper defense.  They took those cases despite great potential risk to their careers and reputations because they were convinced it was the right thing to do. As John Adams famously warned: “Because power corrupts, society’s demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases.”  This remains true today, and it is the role of lawyers to protect the rights of all people and ensure that due process of law means something. Legal education is in a profound transformation, shaped by evolving societal needs and expectations, technological advancements, and shifting student demographics.  This Article explores the contemporary role and purpose of law schools through the lens of Creighton University School of Law (my institution), highlighting the integration of service, ethics, and innovation in legal pedagogy. The law school that serves modern society will have a renewed focus on humanity, community engagement, and adaptive learning as central pillars of legal education in the 21st century.”

Anthony J. Ghiotto, Trial Lawyers and an Ethos of Leadership: Enhancing Legal Education to Meet Evolving Demands, 60 U.S.F. L. Rev. 82 (2026) https://usflawreview.scholasticahq.com/article/159180-trial-lawyers-and-an-ethos-of-leadership-enhancing-legal-education-to-meet-evolving-demands

From Introduction: “This exploration contributes to the ongoing dialogue on enhancing legal education to meet the evolving demands of both the profession and the communities served. The article proceeds in four parts. In Part I, the article explores the societal need for trial lawyers who possess an ethos of leadership. Part II uses a case study approach to examine the current state of trial lawyers, and to demonstrate that there are increasing concerns that the legal profession is not ready to fulfill this ever-growing societal need for conscientious trial lawyers. Part III then explores law school’s role in this development, arguing that even as law school trial advocacy programs continue to grow, they often fail to hone critical skills trial lawyers need throughout their careers when making choices of conscience. Part IV further defines an ethos of leadership and argues that law school trial advocacy programs have an opportunity to instill an ethos of leadership in their future trial lawyers by incorporating core leadership principles–all while highlighting recent developments in legal education, such as an emphasis on professional identity development, education on racism, cross-cultural competence, and diversity.”

Mele Tupou Vaitohi, Envisioning Antiracist Legal Education in Aotearoa New Zealand: The Role of Leadership, 130 Dick. L. Rev. 679 (2026) https://insight.dickinsonlaw.psu.edu/dlr/vol130/iss2/8/

Abstract: “This Essay presents a comprehensive examination of antiracism within Aotearoa New Zealand’s legal education, underscoring the critical need to embed antiracist principles across both the curriculum and the legal profession. It highlights the imperative for systemic change to dismantle structural inequities and advocates for an educational framework that prepares future lawyers to address and challenge racial injustice. Additionally, the Essay demonstrates how visionary leadership can spearhead transformative initiatives that amplify Pacific voices, cultivating a legal landscape that is both inclusive and equitable. Through these insights, this Essay aims to contribute to ongoing dialogues on creating a justice system reflective of Aotearoa’s diverse communities.”

Kathleen Elliott Vinson, “The Human Touch: Lawyer Leadership in the Age of Generative AI,” 59 Suffolk U. L. Rev. 131 (2026). https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=6849679
Abstract: “In an era where generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) can draft contracts, answer legal queries, and even simulate empathy, the need for authentic human connection by leaders in the legal profession has never been more urgent. The question facing today’s lawyer leaders is not whether GenAI will change the practice of law. It already has. The question is whether we will allow it to erode the human-centered foundations fundamental to lawyer leadership. This Article argues that GenAI, for all its transformative potential, cannot (yet) and should not, replace the essential human skills that define effective lawyer leadership. As GenAI becomes more capable, the human traits they lack will be indispensable for lawyer leaders to effectively navigate complex challenges with nuance, ethics, and authenticity.”

Natalie Loeb & David B. Sarnoff, Beyond the Courtroom: Proven Strategies from the Legal Field for Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, and Well-Being in the Modern Workplace (2026).

Beyond the Courtroom is a practical, evidence-based leadership book that translates the lessons, pressures, and interpersonal dynamics of legal practice into universal strategies for stronger leadership, management, emotional intelligence, communication, and wellbeing across all professions. The book also addresses professional identity formation and cross-cultural competency, emphasizing the values, guiding principles, and interpersonal challenges of modern legal practice. Each chapter provides readers with Key Takeaways and Action Items to make learning immediately accessible and actionable, and each section concludes with case studies and facilitation guides for group discussion and enrichment. 

Abstracts and Introductions from the June 2026 Symposium Issue of UC Davis Law Review, CELEBRATING DEAN KEVIN R. JOHNSON: HONORING A LEGACY OF TRANSFORMATIVE SCHOLARSHIP AND LEADERSHIP, https://lawreview.law.ucdavis.edu/:

Angela Onwuachi-Willig, The River That Powers Us: A Tribute to Dean Emeritus Kevin R. Johnson, His Steadfast Commitment to Diversity and Excellence, and His Legacy of Impact, 59 UC Davis L. Rev. 2921 (2026)

“This Essay pays tributes to Dean Emeritus Kevin R. Johnson’s extraordinary contributions to the growth and successes of full-time Latinx faculty and other faculty of color within the legal academy. To do so, it utilizes the recent, inaugural study of faculty by the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) to situate the legal academy’s progress with the diversification of its faculty within a longer trajectory and then illustrates how such gains over the past three decades are the product of intentional, sustained intervention rather than organic institutional and societal evolution. The Essay begins by tracing the lineage of this progress to the advocacy of pioneering academic leaders of color, such as Professor Michael Olivas, whose public critiques and the influential “Dirty Dozens” lists exposed structural exclusion and inspired national accountability efforts. The Essay then turns to the transformative contributions of Dean Emeritus Kevin R. Johnson, focusing first on how his work as a mentor, scholar, and institutional leader enabled, benefited, and enhanced the academic and leadership career of the author, Angela Onwuachi-Willig, who began her career as a tenure-track faculty member under the tutelage and mentorship of then-Associate Dean Emeritus Johnson at the University of California, Davis School of Law (Martin Luther King, Jr. Hall) and who now serves as Dean of Boston University School of Law. The Essay then details how Dean Johnson’s mentorship opened up pathways to and within legal academy for large numbers of faculty of color, which ultimately seeded broader cultural change within the legal academy. The Essay concludes by identifying the ongoing responsibilities of law school leaders to build upon the foundation set by Dean Emeritus Johnson, using data and findings from the AALS law faculty study to highlight areas of concern and potential future growth and advancement within legal academia.”

Meera E. Deo, The Legal Academy: Past, Present, Future, 59 UC Davis L. Rev. 2943 (2026)

“Dean Kevin Johnson has been a key player in transforming the legal academy. He is responsible for increasing the numeric representation of women, people of color, and women of color in particular in legal academia, adding diversity to a profession that is among the whitest in the nation. 

While numeric representation is critical, ensuring that law faculty from traditionally excluded or marginalized backgrounds enjoy an agreeable qualitative experience is essential to achieving meaningful participation, maximizing inclusion, and facilitating success. Providing opportunities for a select few to enter legal academia only for them to suffer could instead cause significant harm. Thus, Dean Johnson should be revered not only for facilitating access to legal academia but also for creating opportunities for faculty from all backgrounds to feel welcome, included, and valued. In short, his efforts have both opened the doors to the legal academy and enhanced faculty belonging. Remarkably, Dean Johnson managed to do this far beyond his own institution, UC Davis King Hall. And he increased representation not only of Latinos like himself, but of faculty from all backgrounds across the United States and at all stages of their careers. Dean Johnson has been especially supportive of junior scholars, creating opportunities for them, singing their praises, and optimizing their sense of belonging in the legal academy.

Under his guidance and mentorship, many have thrived — going on to become senior professors at UC Davis, respected scholars at other top research universities, and even leaders in the legal academy as deans, associate deans, and more. Drawing on Dean Johnson’s efforts at both increasing faculty diversity and improving their experiences, this Article reviews empirical evidence on the number of faculty of color and women faculty in legal academia, while focusing more deliberately on their qualitative experiences over time.”

Afra Afsharipour, The Inclusive Dean Suite: Progress and Its Perils, 59 UC Davis L. Rev. 2999 (2026)

“Over the last two decades, the legal academy has witnessed a significant demographic transformation with women, people of color, and LGBTQ scholars increasingly stepping into dean and associate dean roles. This Essay chronicles these shifts, comparing them against the slower progress seen in leadership in other elite areas of the legal profession. This Essay also focuses on the critical but under-researched role of the associate deanship as a primary pipeline to the dean role and analyzes how intersecting identities shape the modern administrative experience. In response to the current backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion, this Essay argues that sustaining diverse leadership in the “dean suite” is not merely a matter of demographic representation; it is a strategic necessity for navigating the complex academic, financial, and sociopolitical challenges of administering a modern law school.”

Raquel E. Aldana, Advancing Hispanic-Serving Excellence: Honoring a Dean’s Legacy, 59 UC Davis L. Rev. 3031 (2026)

“Across the nation, whereas Latinos comprised twenty percent of the population, only six percent of U.S. lawyers in 2024 were Latino/a/e, representing only a two percent increase in the last decade. And in California — where Latinos/as/es made up thirty-seven percent of the population in 2023 — they represent barely six percent of licensed attorneys, although these figures are changing with Latinos making up eleven percent of newly admitted lawyers. As well, the explosive growth of Latino/a/e students at U.S. colleges and universities in recent decades has not translated into significant representation of Latinos/as/es among the leadership ranks in higher education.

Against this backdrop, Kevin R. Johnson’s sixteen-year tenure as dean at a premier Research 1, land-grant, Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) has been transformative — for King Hall, for UC Davis, for the UC system, and for the nation. This Essay provides a broader context for understanding UC Davis as a HSI and elaborate on three qualities of Kevin Johnson’s leadership that exemplify the best of HSI excellence.”

Madhavi Sunder, Measuring What Matters in Legal Education, 59 UC Davis L. Rev. 3051 (2026)

“The most influential ranking system for law schools — the U.S. News & World Report annual rankings report — does not consistently measure what matters most in legal education: excellent and impactful scholarship and teaching focused on society’s most pressing challenges; access and opportunity for all students; and a commitment to service. Worse still, U.S. News metrics often undermine many of these values and create perverse incentives to abandon some altogether.

Until metrics more fully account for the plural values at stake in legal education, schools chasing rankings will continue to be the tail wagging the dog. Little effort has been made to elaborate mission-aligned metrics. This Essay takes up this task.”

Christiana Ochoa, Legal Education and the Rule of Law, 59 UC Davis L. Rev. 3087 (2026)

“This Article argues that law schools function not only as educational institutions, but as essential civic infrastructure for the rule of law and part of the machinery for the continuous reproduction of constitutional stability. It situates law schools within both “thin” and “thick” conceptions of the rule of law and explores the core functions through which law schools perform this role while examining historical episodes, comparative perspectives, and the influence of external funders. By analyzing these dimensions, this Article demonstrates how law schools both reflect and help shape the legal order. The conclusion calls for law schools to root themselves more deeply and intentionally in their core mission as civic institutions that teach, create and disseminate knowledge, and serve society, so that they may rise to the challenges of sustaining and renewing the rule of law.”

Tania Luma, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Chair, [email protected]

Joan Heminway, The University of Tennessee Winston College of Law, Past Chair, [email protected]

Kenneth Townsend, Wake Forest University School of Law, Secretary, [email protected]

April Barton, Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University, [email protected]

Gregory Bowman, Roger Williams University School of Law, [email protected]

Joshua Fershee, Creighton University School of Law, [email protected]

Daisy Floyd, Mercer University School of Law, [email protected]

Hillary Sale, Georgetown University Law Center, [email protected]

Aric Short, Texas A&M University School of Law, Chair-Elect, [email protected]

Leah Teague, Baylor University School of Law, [email protected]

Main program: Impact, Excellence, Resilience, and Professional Integrity: Educating Lawyers as Leaders

Thursday, January 8, 2026, 2:35 PM – 3:50 PM Hilton New Orleans Riverside, First Floor, Grand Salon Section 3

Questions recently have been raised about the integrity of lawyers, judges, and legal institutions. The legal profession is tasked with ensuring the integrity of its members and the stability of legal institutions, even in the face of growing partisanship, declining civility, and low levels of social trust. What does principled leadership look like in contexts of uncertainty, where legislative actions, executive orders, and judicial opinions continually raise new questions about free speech, the rule of law, and the nature of democratic legitimacy? This session explores from several perspectives how law schools can educate lawyer leaders in the current, dynamic environment.

Session Speakers:
William Bay, Thompson Coburn LLP:
James E. Graves, Jr., United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit;
Austen L. Parrish, University of California, Irvine School of Law
Cory T. Wilson, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Moderator: Tania Luma, Loyola University Chicago School of Law

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Cosponsoring with the Section on Balance & Well-Being in Legal Education:

Doing Well-Being Without Losing Your Mind: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Law Student, Faculty, and Staff Well-Being. 

Wednesday, January 7, 2026,  1:00 pm to 2:15 pm. Location: Hilton New Orleans Riverside, First Floor, Grand Salon Section 3.

As a wellness advocate and practitioner, I was grateful for the reach-out from the leadership of the Section on Balance and Well-Being requesting our support for this program.

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Section on Leadership Business Meeting

Thursday, January 8, 7:30 – 8:00 am Location: Hilton New Orleans Riverside, Third Floor, Durham Room

By: Professor Kathleen Elliott Vinson, Suffolk University Law School

In January of 2021, the University of Illinois College of Law launched its Leadership Project, a leadership development program for our students. In Leadership is about relationships, including listening, adapting, and learning from others. This September, I had the privilege to spend two weeks in Finland, teaching Global Leadership for Lawyers at Turku Law School, where I feel I learned just as much as my students. The class of fifteen students included students from Finland as well as numerous exchange students, representing six different countries: Finland, Germany, France, China, Czech Republic, and Taiwan (seven countries if you count the professor was from the United States). Students worked in groups of three; each group had students from different countries sharing their different perspectives, experiences, and cultures. Conversations, self-reflections, and collaborations about leading self, leading others, and leading change, challenged all of us in the class to think more deeply about what it means to lead in a global profession. We reconsidered our assumptions about global leadership as we explored similarities and differences through a comparative lens. For example, some students spoke of cultures rooted in hierarchy and competition, while others described cultures that prioritized collaboration and consensus. Some shared cultural values that emphasized time and task completion while others prioritized relationship building and well-being (having the course in Finland, we discussed why Finland is ranked the happiest country in the world). We also examined how culture can affect communication, conflict styles, and difficult conversations.

Through diagnostics, journals, case studies, group presentations, and a final reflection paper, students learned a great deal about themselves, their own culture, other cultures, and how it all affects leadership. By sharing their experiences across cultures, the course enhanced their leadership skills and their cultural competence. The experience illustrated how cultural competence is at the heart of leadership education, not an optional part of it. The experience highlighted the pedagogical value of situating leadership education within a transnational context instead of in the abstract, where students bring authentic engagement and varied perspectives to discussions of law and leadership. While I had taught internationally before, I had never had so many students from different countries in one class together, which really enriched the cross-cultural dialogue. Students reflected that after the course, they viewed leadership in a new way and felt more prepared and motivated to take on new challenges to lead in a complex, global world. They noted that the lessons and tools they learned in the course would help them in their studies, the legal profession, and their life in the future.

This course almost did not happen, which reminds me of another leadership lesson I learned from this experience regarding growth v. fixed mindset, grit, and resilience. In the course, students completed a closed door/open door exercise where they reflected on a prior setback or closed door they had experienced and then discussed how another door opened. It helped students reframe how they viewed failure and increased their appreciation for where they are now. Well, now I will share my closed door/open door experience regarding this course. I was thrilled to be placed on the Fulbright Specialist roster and had applied and planned with the University of Turku to teach this course as a Fulbright Specialist award. I had aligned the timing of my sabbatical with the dates for this course in Finland. The U.S. State Department, however, did not provide final approval of this Fulbright placement. I felt deep disappointment when this door closed. But, thanks to the support of both the University of Turku and my home institution, we moved forward independent of the Fulbright program and the experience proved to be transformative for both me and my students. It’s a good reminder that embracing a new path or different perspective can lead to great growth, for our students and ourselves.

We are pleased to introduce a new recurring feature in the AALS Section on Leadership Newsletter, highlighting recent publications that advance the study, teaching, and practice of legal leadership. This section is designed to spotlight scholarship that deepens our understanding of how lawyers are formed as leaders, how leadership is cultivated in legal education, and how leadership shapes the profession and its institutions. We hope this new feature will serve as both a resource and an inspiration for your teaching, research, and service.

We invite Section members to share information about their recent leadership-related publications for possible inclusion in future newsletters. If you or your colleagues have recently published scholarship that advances leadership development in legal education, the profession, or related fields, please send the citation and a brief description to the Newsletter Editor. We look forward to continuing to showcase the outstanding leadership scholarship being produced across our community.

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Jane Mitchell, Associate Professor, Brigham Young University Law School
“That Class Changed My Life”: Using Transformative Learning Theory to Teach Leadership, 65 SANTA CLARA L. REV. 593 (2025), available at https://digitalcommons.law.scu.edu/lawreview/vol65/iss3/1.

How can faculty move beyond teaching about leadership to truly form law students as leaders? In her recent article, “That Class Changed My Life”: Using Transformative Learning Theory to Teach Leadership, BYU Law Professor Jane Mitchell explores how adult learning theory can catalyze authentic leadership development in legal education. Drawing on Mezirow’s transformative learning theory and a design-based research methodology, the article identifies specific pedagogical strategies that prompt deep shifts in students’ leadership identity, values, and capacity to lead.

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Joan Heminway, Rick Rose Distinguished Professor of Law, The University of Tennessee Frank Winston College of Law

Professional Identity in Context: The Transactional Business Lawyer as Counselor and Leader, 76 Mercer L. Rev. 1199 (2025), available at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5404081.

When many of us began our legal education, leadership formation was rarely addressed explicitly as part of professional identity. At the invitation of the Mercer Law Review, Professor Joan Heminway reflected on her own development as a lawyer-leader shaped by relational counseling practice. Her essay, Professional Identity in Context: The Transactional Business Lawyer as Counselor and Leader, examines the leadership dimensions of transactional lawyering, particularly the lawyer’s role as a trusted advisor, problem-solver, and ethical leader in business contexts.

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Bryan Adamson, David L. Brennan Chaired Professor of Law, Case Western Reserve University School of Law

Case Western Reserve University School of Law’s Academy for Inclusive Leadership Development: A New Pedagogy Integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Belonging into Legal Education, 75 Wash. U. J.L. & Pol’y 1 (2024), available at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4955908.

The Academy for Inclusive Leadership Development at Case Western Reserve University School of Law was created to educate lawyers, business professionals, and students to become inclusive organizational leaders. In Case Western Reserve University School of Law’s Academy for Inclusive Leadership Development: A New Pedagogy Integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Belonging into Legal Education, Professor and Associate Dean Bryan L. Adamson explains how the Academy offers innovative leadership training grounded in equity, systemic change, and inclusive professional identity. The article demonstrates how leadership education can be a powerful tool for addressing structural inequality in the profession.

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Margie Alsbrook, Assistant Professor of Law, Mercer University School of Law

Flexibility & Resilience Are Essential Legal Skills, 2025 Wis. L. Rev. Forward 33 (2025), available at https://wlr.law.wisc.edu/flexibility-resilience-are-essential-legal-skills/.

Professor Margie Alsbrook argues that today’s lawyers must be educated not only as technicians, but as adaptive leaders capable of guiding change. In her recent article, Flexibility & Resilience Are Essential Legal Skills, she contends that adaptability, resilience, and interdisciplinary thinking are core leadership competencies for lawyers navigating technological disruption, environmental crises, and shifting client expectations. She emphasizes that preparing students for leadership in uncertainty strengthens both individual lawyers and the legal profession as a whole. The article is available on the Wisconsin Law Review website.

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Andrea Kupfer Schneider, Professor and Director of the Kukin Program for Conflict Resolution, Yeshiva University – Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law; Abigail R. Bogli, Quarles & Brady LLP; and Hannah L. Chin, Whitefish Bay School District

The New Glass Ceiling, 2024 Wis. L. Rev. 1687 (2024), available at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5053324.

Two recent articles featured here examine persistent barriers to women’s leadership in the legal profession, with important implications for leadership education and institutional reform. The first, The New Glass Ceiling, co-authored by Professor Andrea Kupfer Schneider, attorney Abigail R. Bogli, and attorney Hannah L. Chin, challenges the assumption that gender equality has been achieved, documenting women’s continued underrepresentation in senior law firm leadership and compensation.

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Paula Schaefer, Art Stolinitz Distinguished Professor of Law, The University of Tennessee Frank Winston College of Law

The Motherhood Myth, Traditional Firms, and the Underrepresentation of Women, 20 F.I.U. L. Rev. 287 (2025), available at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4895367.

The second article to examine law leadership gender barriers is The Motherhood Myth, Traditional Firms, and the Underrepresentation of Women. In this article, Professor Paula Schaefer dismantles narratives that attribute the underrepresentation of women in law firm partnerships and leadership roles to caregiving rather than institutional structure. In the process, the article offers recent data on women and men in U.S. law schools and law firms.

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Katie Kempner, AALS Associate Director of Research and Data Analytics; Kate Schaffzin, Director of the Institute for Professional Leadership and Douglas A. Blaze Distinguished Professor of Law, The University of Tennessee Frank Winston College of Law

Women Attorneys in Higher Education Leadership, Am. Assoc. L. Schools (2025), available at https://www.aals.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Women-Attorneys-in-Higher-Education-Leadership-Report-FINAL.pdf

Continuing with the theme of gender and law leadership, the AALS recently released a comprehensive empirical study titled “Women Attorneys in Higher Education Leadership,” co-authored by Katie Kempner and Kate Schaffzin. The study analyzes national data on women lawyers serving in senior academic leadership roles, documenting both progress and persistent gaps in advancement. It offers valuable insights for those engaged in cultivating higher education leadership pipelines, including within legal education. Additional information and the full report are available on the AALS website at Women Attorneys in Higher Education Leadership.

Joan M. Heminway	Chair	Email
Tania Luma	Chair-Elect	Email
April M. Barton	Past Chair / Executive Committee	Email
Hillary A. Sale	Executive Committee	Email
Aric K. Short	Executive Committee	Email
Leah Jackson Teague	Executive Committee	Email
Kenneth Townsend	Executive Committee	Email