More than 2,100 law school faculty, deans, professional staff, and sponsors attended the 2025 AALS Annual Meeting in early January. We were pleased to gather with the legal education community at the Moscone Center in San Francisco after unforeseen circumstances necessitated a relocation just six weeks before the meeting began. We once again thank the section leaders, program organizers, sponsors, and many professionals onsite who made this change successful.
This meeting explored the theme “Courage in Action,” as selected by 2024 AALS President Melanie D. Wilson.
“I want to thank AALS and its members for embracing courage in our collective work this year,” President Wilson said during her report to the AALS House of Representatives on January 11. “Acting with courage and collaboratively, we continued to advance the interests of excellence in legal education.”
Moscone Center lobby 
Moscone Center 
Annual Meeting attendees in the Exhibit Hall 
Attendees visit the AALS Exhibit Hall 
Attendees visit the AALS Exhibit Hall 
Staff at the AALS Booth in the Exhibit Hall 
Mississippi College School of Law dean emeritus Jim Rosenblatt interviewed by a San Francisco television station.
By the Numbers
Spanning four days from January 7-11, the meeting included:
- Over 1,100 law faculty and guest speakers, moderators, and discussants.
- More than 250 sessions, including moderated panels, discussion groups, and more.
- 40 receptions and networking events hosted by law schools and other organizations.
- 40 Works-in-Progress and New Voices sessions for junior faculty.
- 18 section awards ceremonies, and 67 section awards presented overall.
- An exhibit hall where attendees connected with vendors and publishers.
- Two annual traditions, the AALS Awards Ceremony and the AALS Reception.
Plus, it officially kicked off the 125th anniversary of AALS in 2025. Learn more about AALS history and our commemorative publication The First 125 Years: An Illustrated History of the Association of American Law Schools here.
Panelists at the Presidential Keynote Plenary Session – Courage in Action 
L ro R: AALS President Melanie D. Wilson (Dean, Washington and Lee Law), Rebecca H. White (Dean Emerita, University of Georgia Law), Toni M. Massaro (Dean Emerita, University of Arizona Law), Kellye Y. Testy AALS ED & CEO. 
Panelists at the Section on Law in the Americas session “The Courage to Engage: Celebrating DEIB in the Face of DEIB Bans.” 
AALS Committee on Recruitment and Retention of Minority Law Teachers and Students session “Difficult Conversions: Ideas for Navigating Conflicts in a Polarized World.” 
Mark Alexander (Dean, Villanova Law) with Angela Onwuachi-Willig (Dean, Boston University Law) at the AALS Presidential Session “Law Faculty Appointments Amid Challenges to Diversity and Equity.” 
AALS leadership at the Arc of Career Session for First-Time Annual Meeting Attendees. 
The editors of the Journal of Legal Education discuss their vision for the publication. 
AALS Discussion Group – Tightrope: Teaching Criminal Law to First-Year Students in a Polarized Moment.
Wednesday Presidential Session
Law Faculty Appointments Amid Challenges to Diversity and Equity
Wednesday’s Presidential Session explored perspectives on faculty hiring in light of continuing challenges to diversity and equity initiatives. AALS Executive Director & CEO Kelley Testy moderated a discussion with Mark C. Alexander (Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law), Angela I. Onwuachi-Willig (Boston University School of Law), and Ediberto Roman (Florida International University College of Law). The conversation ranged from interpretating how far the decision about student admissions in SFFA v. Harvard extends beyond the student context to state-level attempts to restrict university hiring conduct, and how some of our colleagues are leading important initiatives to lawfully expand the diversity of law faculties in this complex environment.
Thursday Presidential Keynote Plenary
Courage in Action
Thursday’s Presidential Keynote Plenary focused on the courage demonstrated by pathbreaking women in the legal profession, the challenges they faced, and the strides they made for future generations of women law students, legal academics, and lawyers.
AALS President Melanie Wilson moderated the discussion with then-US Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, who made an announcement that she will be joining the faculty at Harvard Law School; former Dean of University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law Toni Massaro; and former Dean of University of Georgia School of Law Rebecca Hanner White. The speakers answered questions about their lives and experiences during the hour-long discussion.
Program Highlights
The AALS Annual Meeting features a wide variety of program types—learn more here. The 108 AALS Sections planned the majority of the sessions, addressing topics that are the most relevant to their members. Topics chosen by AALS program committees also closely reflected important and timely issues, including the end of affirmative action in college admissions, generative AI, pedagogical topics, and more. See the full program here.
Wednesday opened with the half-day AALS Symposium “Expanding Access to Justice Through Legal Tech Innovation and Education,” and ended with the annual “Session for First-Time Annual Meeting Attendees,” where those new to the conference or to AALS had the opportunity to meet with AALS leadership and senior faculty and learn how to get the most out of the meeting. The session was followed by a reception for new faculty.
Thursday included a session on “Difficult Conversions: Ideas for Navigating Conflicts in a Polarized World,” organized by the AALS Committee on Recruitment and Retention of Minority Law Teachers and Students. In the afternoon, the editors of the Journal of Legal Education hosted program to share their vision for the future of the publication and gather feedback from attendees on how the journal can better serve law faculty and legal education.
Friday’s programs included an all-day Deans Forum and the half-day Workshop for Pretenured Law School Teachers of Color, where attendees received guidance from colleagues and faculty on navigating the tenure and promotion process.
Saturday morning included a working breakfast for all incoming section chairs and chairs-elect. This annual event is key for the continuity and success of AALS Sections throughout the year.
AALS Awards Ceremony
The annual AALS Awards Ceremony celebrates success and honors excellence in legal education. AALS Section Chairs, winners of section awards, honorees of the Pro Bono Honor Roll, and Teachers of the Year were recognized and congratulated during the ceremony, and the following award winners were honored:
- AALS Scholarly Papers Competition winners Christopher D. Hampson (University of Florida Levin College of Law) for his paper “Bankruptcy Fiduciaries,” and Christopher Brett Jaeger (Baylor University School of Law) for his paper “The Hand Formula’s Unequal Inputs.”
- AALS Section of the Year winner, the Section on Poverty Law. This award honors excellence in member support and activities that promote AALS core values.
- The Deborah L. Rhode Award winners Camille Nelson (University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, William S. Richardson School of Law) and Jessica Steinberg (George Washington University Law School). This annual award is given to the law professor or lawyer who exemplifies the groundbreaking work, imagination, and inspired action of Deborah Rhode.
- The Michael A. Olivas Award for Outstanding Leadership in Diversity and Mentoring in the Legal Academy winner Guy-Uriel Charles (Harvard Law School). This award recognizes individuals who exemplify Olivas’s devotion to mentoring junior and aspiring faculty from underrepresented communities and promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity in the legal academy.
To close the ceremony, the AALS Triennial Award for Lifetime Service to Legal Education and to the Law was presented to the late Harvard Law professor Charles J. Ogletree, Jr. The Triennial Award is the association’s highest honor. Deans Angela Onwuachi-Willig (Boston University School of Law) and Roger Fairfax (Howard University School of Law) discussed the enduring impact that Ogletree had on his students, legal education, civil rights and the law. The presentation also included a video tribute that featured a collection of Ogletree’s photos and speeches, and testimonials from former students and colleagues.
Honorees and presenters at the AALS Awards Ceremony. 
AALS Section on Poverty Law named Section of the Year. 
Roger Fairfax, Dean of Howard University School of Law, presents the Triennial Award. 
Video tribute to Charles Ogletree. 
Law faculty congratulate award winners. 
Camille Nelson (University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, William S. Richardson School of Law) accepts the Rhode Award. 
Jessica Steinberg (George Washington University Law School) accepts the Rhode Award. 
AALS Executive Director & CEO Kellye Y. Testy hosts the AALS Awards Ceremony. 
Scholarly Papers Competition winner Christopher D. Hampson (University of Florida Levin College of Law). 
Scholarly Papers Competition winner Christopher Brett Jaeger, (Baylor University School of Law). 
Law faculty take photos of award winners.
Association Business
The AALS House of Representatives, the governing body of AALS, voted in advance of the Annual Meeting to confirm the nominees for incoming AALS leadership. At the meeting of the House on Saturday, Danielle M. Conway (Penn State Dickinson Law) became President-Elect. Leonard M. Baynes (University of Houston Law Center) and Stacy Leeds (Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Arizona State University) began their three-year terms as members of the Executive Committee. Kevin Washburn and Eloisa C. Rodriguez-Dod ended theirs, and Mark Alexander ended his year as Immediate Past President.
The meeting of the House also included a segment in memoriam of law faculty lost in the past year, the presentation of the Order of the Coif Book Award, and the annual AALS Executive Director’s report from Kellye Y. Testy. She reported on the many surprises, challenges, and successes of her first six months at AALS, and highlighted the publication of The First 125 Years: An Illustrated History of the Association of American Law Schools.
2025 AALS President Austen Parrish gave his inaugural address and announced “Impact. Excellence. Resilience. The Enduring Contributions of Legal Education.” as the theme for AALS during his year as president and the 2026 Annual Meeting.
“One-hundred and twenty-five years after AALS’ founding, American legal education continues to be a model for many in the world,” said Dean Parrish. “In past years, AALS themes have appropriately and often focused on ways we can improve in different areas and shore up our commitments. This year, the goal is to take stock of what we’ve achieved and to highlight the positive impact that legal education has made on our students, our communities, and the people and society we serve.”
Thank you to all AALS section chairs, moderators, speakers, and committee members for their contributions to the planning, programming, and support of a successful Annual Meeting.
2025 President Austen Parrish (Dean, UC Irvine School of Law). 
2024 AALS President Melanie D. Wilson (Dean, Washington and Lee University School of Law). 
Incoming AALS Executive Committe Members L to R: Danielle M. Conway as President-Elect (Dean of Penn State Dickinson Law), Leonard M. Baynes (Dean of University of Houston Law Center), and Stacy Leeds (Dean of Arizona State University Law). AALS Executive Director & CEO Kellye Y. Testy hosts the AALS Awards Ceremony.
Special thanks to the members of the following committees who contributed throughout the year to the success of this meeting:
Special thanks to the following committees:
Program Committee for the 2025 Annual Meeting
- Alena M. Allen, Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center
- Karen E. Bravo, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
- Brian R. Gallini, Willamette University College of Law
- Stacy L. Leeds, Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law
- Stephen W. Mazza, University of Kansas School of Law, Chair
Committee to Review Scholarly Papers for the 2025 Annual Meeting
- Andrea L. Dennis, University of Georgia School of Law
- Cathy Hwang, University of Virginia School of Law
- Jason Mazzone, University of Illinois College of Law, Chair
- Todd E. Pettys, University of Iowa College of Law
- Maria Ponomarenko, The University of Texas School of Law
- Kyle C. Velte, University of Kansas School of Law
Planning Committee for 2025 Workshop for Pretenured Law School Teachers of Color
- Camille Davidson, Southern Illinois University School of Law
- Jelani Jefferson Exum, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, Chair
- Anthony Eudelio Varona, Seattle University School of Law
Committee on Arc of Career Programs
- Bowen Matthew, The George Washington University Law School, Chair
- Toni M. Massaro, The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law
- Michèle Alexandre, Loyola University Chicago School of Law
- Jennifer Oliva, University of California, Hastings College of the Law
- Brooke D. Coleman, Seattle University School of Law
- Katherine A. Macfarlane, Syracuse University College of Law
Planning Committee for the 2025 Deans Forum Program
- Cassandra L. Hill, Northern Illinois University College of Law
- William C. Hubbard, University of South Carolina School of Law
- Eboni S. Nelson, University of Connecticut School of Law
- Andrew M. (Andy) Perlman, Suffolk University Law School
- Patricia E. (Patty) Roberts, St. Mary’s University School of Law, Chair
Committee on Sections
- Eboni S. Nelson, University of Connecticut School of Law
- Michael E. Waterstone, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, Chair
- Emilio R. Longoria, St. Mary’s University of San Antonio School of Law
- Matthew Sipe, University of Baltimore School of Law
- Jill C. Engle, The Pennsylvania State University – Penn State Law
- Sarah Schendel, Suffolk University Law School
Deans Steering Committee
- Mark C. Alexander, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
- Jacob H. Rooksby, Gonzaga University School of Law
- Jennifer Rosato Perea, DePaul University College of Law
- Sudha N. Setty, Western New England University School of Law
- Elizabeth Kronk Warner, University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law, Chair
- Kevin Washburn, University of Iowa College of Law
- Michael Barry, South Texas College of Law Houston
- Anthony Crowell, New York Law School
- Renée Mcdonald Hutchins, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
- Lolita Buckner Inniss, University of Colorado Law School
- Melanie Leslie, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
- Melanie D. Wilson, Washington and Lee University School of Law
- Kerry Abrams, Duke University School of Law
- Roger A. Fairfax, American University, Washington College of Law
- Risa Goluboff, University of Virginia School of Law
- Johanna Kalb, University of Idaho College of Law
- Austen L. Parrish, University of California, Irvine School of Law
Committee to Review Scholarly Papers
- Martin H. Belsky, University of Akron School of Law
- Talia Gillis, Columbia Law School
- Andrew Guzman, University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, Chair
- Sarah B. Lawsky, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
- Troy A. McKenzie, New York University School of Law
- Sidney D. Watson, Saint Louis University School of Law
Planning Committee for 2023 Workshop for Pretenured Law School Teachers of Color
- Mario L. Barnes, University of California, Irvine School of Law, Chair
- Juan F. Perea, Loyola University Chicago School of Law
- Crystal Yang, Harvard Law School
Committee on Arc of Career Programs
- Michèle Alexandre, Loyola University Chicago School of Law
- Danya Bowen Matthew, The George Washington University Law School, Chair
- Catherine M. Brooks, Creighton University School of Law
- Myrisha Lewis, William & Mary Law School
- Tony M. Massaro, The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law
- Jennifer Oliva, University of California, Hastings College of the Law
- Natalya Shnitser, Boston College Law School
- Kyle C. Velte, University of Kansas School of Law
Planning Committee for the 2023 Deans Forum Program
- Kathleen M. Boozang, Seton Hall University School of Law
- Judith F. Daar, Northern Kentucky University, Salmon P. Chase College of Law
- James R. Hackney, Jr., Northeastern University School of Law
- Kevin R. Johnson, University of California, Davis School of Law, Chair
- Mark D. West, The University of Michigan Law School
Committee on Sections
- Kerry Abrams, Duke University School of Law
- Jeremy W. Bock, Tulane University School of Law
- Wendy-Adele Humphrey, Texas Tech University School of Law
- Wayne A. Logan, Florida State University College of Law
- Emilio R. Longoria, St. Mary’s University of San Antonio School of Law
- Eugene Mazo, Seton Hall University School of Law
- Carol A. Needham, Saint Louis University School of Law, Chair
- Eboni S. Nelson, University of Connecticut School of Law
- Matthew Sipe, University of Baltimore School of Law
- Michael E. Waterstone, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles
Deans Steering Committee
- Mark C. Alexander, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
- Michael Barry, South Texas College of Law Houston
- April Barton, Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University
- Lolita Buckner Inniss, University of Colorado Law School
- Erwin Chemerinsky, University of California, Berkeley School of Law
- Danielle Conway, The Pennsylvania State University – Dickinson Law
- Anthony Crowell, New York Law School
- Daniel M. Filler, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law
- Garry W. Jenkins, University of Minnesota Law School, Chair
- Elizabeth Kronk Warner, University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law
- Tamara F. Lawson, University of Washington School of Law
- Melanie Leslie, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
- Reneé McDonald Hutchins, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
- Angela Onwuachi-Willig, Boston University School of Law
- Hari Osofsky, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
- Austen L. Parrish, University of California, Irvine School of Law
- Jacob H. Rooksby, Gonzaga University School of Law
- Jennifer Rosato Perea, DePaul University College of Law
- Sudha N. Setty, City University of New York School of Law
- Kevin Washburn, University of Iowa College of Law
- Melanie D. Wilson, Washington and Lee University School of Law