Author: Kevin R Johnson
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Law Dean Challenged for Decline in Diversity of Student Enrollment
DEI news that is out of the ordinary — at least in these times when DEI policies are under attack. News from the Southwest: “A group of University of New Mexico School of Law alumni and others are demanding that the university not renew the contract of the law school’s current dean, Camille Carey. At…
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UT Law on AI
Bloomberg Law has some news that will interest those interested in AI: “The University of Texas School of Law’s dean is calling for a new approach with generative artificial intelligence policies to counter the risk that the technology will erode the learning of essential skills. Faculty should emphasize Socratic-style questioning in teaching, Dean Robert Bobby’…
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Top 10 Law & Legal Series in the History of TV
As I have said before, everyone has a list. I liked this Keyser Law blog list of the “Top 10 Law & Legal Series in the History of TV.” Here are the top 5: I am not so sure about the last three.
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Lots of Interim Law School Deans
The AALS Rosenblatt’s Law Deans website currently lists 26 interim law deans. The longest serving interim appears to be the University of Florida’s Merritt McAllister, who has been in the position since June 1, 2023. There are 198 American Bar Association accredited law schools. Thus, about 1/8 of deanships at those schools are filled by…
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What is the most popular fast food among law students?
This is what ChatGPT Generated in response to the question “What is the most popular fast food among law students?”: 1. McDonald’s 28.6% 2. Chik-Fil-A 18.7% 3. Chipotle 13.4% 4. Starbucks 10.3% 5. Wendy’s 7.8% OTHER 21.2% At UC Davis, pizza appears to be king. Empty pizza boxes clutter the hallways after the lunch hour…
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UC Davis School of Law Summer Tax Institute
I actually have something about tax law to post! Summer Tax Institute, June 15 – 18, 2026, UC Davis School of Law The 36th annual Summer Tax Institute, with, among others, UC Davis School of Law Professors Darien Shanske and Dennis Ventry, is in session! It is an intensive, 4-day educational program for tax professionals. Classes qualify…
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Opposing Proposed Revisions to ABA Standard 205 (Non-Discrimination and Equality of Opportunity)
Law professors have been pushing back on the American Bar Association’s responses to pressures from the Trump administration on DEI and related matters. The latest came across the AALS Minority Law Professors listserve: “Colleagues, Many of you know that the ABA Council recently voted to repeal Standard 206, eliminating the only accreditation requirement that law…
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2026 Above the Law Top 50 Law School Rankings Are Here!
The 14th annual ATL Top 50 Law School Rankings are out. The University of Chicago is back on top for the first time since 2021 and the formula still rewarding the outcomes — jobs, bar passage, cost — that actually pay the loans. Here are the Top 10 law schools for 2026:
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Article: Online Inclusivity: Mission and Best Practice by Colin P. Marks and Zoe Niesel
We know that online legal education is on the ascendance. We know that inclusivity in education is important. An article by Colin P. Marks and & Zoe Niesel (Online Inclusivity: Mission and Best Practice, 57 St. Mary’s L.J. 97-124 (2025)) gets us thinking about inclusivity in online education. They write: “as online education grows in quantity…
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What Are the Top 10 DEI Law Schools?
I asked ChatGPT the following question: What are the Top 10 DEI Law Schools? This is what I received: “There isn’t one universally accepted `Top 10 DEI law schools’ ranking, because schools are measured differently — student diversity, faculty diversity, support for minority students, social justice programs, pipeline initiatives, affordability, and outcomes all matter. But…
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AccessLex: How State Anti-DEI Policies and Initiatives Impact Legal Education
Madison Watts, Policy Associate, and Joel Chanvisanuruk, Senior Director, Programs for Academic and Bar Success for AccessLex look at “How State Anti-DEI Policies and Initiatives Impact Legal Education.” It begins with a scene that could have taken place at any one of many law schools: “As law students cross the stage, faculty and deans place…
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Podcast: How State Legislatures Are Reshaping Freedom of Expression in Higher Education
It seems fair to say that freedom of expression is a hot button issue on university campuses. I am something of a podcast junkie and thought that followers of the TaxProf Blog might be interested in this podcast. SpeechMatters is the official podcast of the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic…
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US Law Faculty Report Growing Fear of Speaking Out
Ma Fatima of JD Journal has a story on a new national survey that found widespread self-censorship among U.S. law faculty: “The survey, conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), gathered responses from 1,959 professors across 192 ABA-accredited law schools. According to the findings, 56% of law faculty members said they self-censor…
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Jerry Organ Appointed Interim Dean of St. Thomas (Minnesota) School of Law
It has been announced that Professor Jerry Organ will serve as Interim Dean of the University of St. Thomas School of Law (Minnesota) for the 2026-27 Academic Year. Organ is Bakken Professor of Law and Co-director, Holloran Center for Ethical Leadership in the Professions. Previous Dean, Dan Kelly, accepted an offer to become the next…
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News From Chapman Law: “Former Law Dean’s Discrimination Lawsuit Against Chapman University Highlights Ongoing Challenges in Academic Inclusivity”
Click here. “The former dean of Chapman University’s Dale E. Fowler School of Law [Paul Paton] has filed a complaint in California state court, alleging that his termination was a result of discrimination based on his sexual orientation. According to the complaint, the former dean asserts that he was fired because he is gay and…
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Article: Christopher David Ruiz Cameron, Standard Deviations: The Origins of Affirmative Action at the Harvard Law Review
The Trump administration is not fond of anything that might be classified as a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy. In 2025, the administration opened two investigations into Harvard University and the Harvard Law Review over allegedly factoring race into article selection decisions of the law review. Whatever the investigation finds, it is unquestionably the…
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AI to the Rescue? AI is the End? The Feeding Frenzy Over AI
A headline in the Wall Street Journal recently read that the “American rebellion against AI is gaining steam.” Commencement speakers have been booed for mentioning Artificial Intelligence. Multiple commencement speakers booed for AI comments during graduation speeches – YouTube There is lots of chatter about AI dominating discussions at law schools. Many schools are having…
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2026 Top Party Schools in America
I am not sure what to do with this ranking but here it is. The Niche “2026 Top Party Schools ranking is based on student reviews and nightlife statistics. Top party colleges have a vibrant and diverse party scene – they offer fun options both on and off campus and students rate their peers as…
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From the Bookshelves: The Legal Career: Knowing the Business, Thriving in Practice by Katrina Lee (3rd edition 2026)
When I served as a dean, I was unaware of the earlier editions of this book as. The current one sure is informative. Applicants, law students, and many rankings focus on the ability of law graduates to land jobs. The law job market is constantly changing. The Legal Career: Knowing the Business, Thriving in Practice…
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PRESS RELEASE by the Critical Legal Collective: “`Shame on the ABA Council’; Law Professors and Practitioners Denounce Regulator for Abetting Racist Attacks on Legal Education, Democracy, and the Rule of Law” AS REVISED
The American Bar Association Council on Legal Education and Admissions recently suspended a Diversity, equity, and inclusion standard for the accreditation of law schools. The suspension brought this response: The following is a Press Release from the Critical Legal Collective. I received it yesterday by email via listserve: “`Shame on the ABA Council’; Law Professors…
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Students in Racially Diverse MBA and Law Classes Earn More
The more diverse an MBA program or law school is, the higher the median starting salary offered to its graduates, two professors of marketing say in a paper published by the journal Nature. The study included a review of almost 3,400 law school classes at 200 schools over 21 years, starting in 1999. Robb Mandelbaum reported on the…
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The cost of toxic leadership in the workplace – and how to avoid it
We all have experience with leadership in higher education. Some of us have experience with so-called toxic leaders. I found this analysis co-authored by a Ph.D. candidate, professor, and professor emeritus to be of interest: “You will probably recognise toxic leaders when you encounter them. They are the ones whose presence shifts the atmosphere, whose…
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A Conversation with an Incoming Harvard 1L || Fresh Advice for Top Law School Applicants
The Yale Undergraduate Law Journal: On this episode of Amicus host Joel Vincent speaks with a first generation college student and incoming 1L at Harvard Law School. She is a self-described law school content creator and admissions advisor. Articulate and thoughtful, Rose goes into minute detail on her law school application process. The intensity of…
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Something that Democrats and Republicans Can Agree on? What makes a good teacher?
We are in the teaching business and constantly think about how to best teach our students. We also live in a time of political polarization. With that in mind, this piece in The Conversation caught my eye. The bottom line: “Beyond [the] evidence of political polarization, . . . there’s another, less divisive reality. Ask…