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.”
