By Samantha Morales 3L
Team TJSL made a large showing at the 2013 annual meeting of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) that was held the weekend of January 4-7th in New Orleans. This year's theme “Global Engagement and the Legal Academy” engaged attendees with the intellectual, theoretical, pedagogical, professional, and collegial opportunities and challenges that globalization presents.
TJSL's Dean Rudy Hasl, Associate Dean William Byrnes, Assistant Dean Arnold Rosenberg, Professors Alex Kreit, and Jeff Slattery, Student Services Director Lisa Ferreira, and Associate Director of Admissions Michelle Allison were presenters and moderators at different workshops throughout the event.
Also among the faculty members who attended AALS were Steve Berenson, Joy Delman, Meera Deo, Thomas Golden, Rebecca Lee, Albert Monroe and Steve Semeraro. Professor Lee served as the Secretary for the AALS Section on Labor Relations and Employment Law this past year and is the new Chair-Elect for 2013.
As part of a daylong panel by the committee on the recruitment and retention of minority teachers and students program, Dean Hasl moderated two panels. Both the “Pipelining Programs and Their Relationship to the Statement of Good Practices” and the “The Nuts and Bolts of Developing Pipeline Programs” panels that focused on addressing the need to build a racially diverse student body and on developing successful pipeline programs to increase diversity among law schools. “At a time when minority enrollments in law school are declining, the AALS is taking a leadership role in helping law schools achieve their minority enrollment goals, both in terms of faculty and staff, but also in student recruitment and enrollment. This daylong program emphasizes the commitment of the AALS to achieving diverse law schools,” said Dean Hasl.
Dean Rosenberg moderated a panel that discussed the pedagogical, logistical and technological challenges of online LL.M. Programs which are gaining popularity. These distance-learning programs, of which TJSL is among the pioneers, offer practicing attorneys a convenient way of acquiring skills and credentials without putting their practice on hold and represent new revenue sources for law schools. Read About Dean Rosenberg's Panel
Also among the faculty members who attended AALS were Steve Berenson, Joy Delman, Meera Deo, Thomas Golden, Rebecca Lee, Albert Monroe and Steve Semeraro. Professor Lee served as the Secretary for the AALS Section on Labor Relations and Employment Law this past year and is the new Chair-Elect for 2013.
Dean Byrnes was a presenter on a panel focusing on the outcomes, measures, and assessments of international legal exchange programs which involve learning outside of the U.S. via short or long term study abroad, dual, and joint degree programs and international externships. Read about the presentation
Professor Kreit moderated a panel examining the shifting law and politics of legalizing marijuana in light of the November election when Washington and Colorado voters approved marijuana legalization ballot measures.
Professor Slattery did a presentation for the Section on Art Law panel Saturday, "Art in an Age of Digital Convergence". He addressed the digitization and use of artwork that has fallen into the public domain.
Lisa Ferreira moderated and presented on a brainstorming panel focused on communicating efficiently with the student body in today’s era of emails, web pages, and social media like Facebook and Twitter.
Michelle Allison moderated a panel tailored to help law schools distinguish themselves as “unique” among over two hundred ABA-approved law schools. The panel of law school professionals discussed the ways their schools have retooled and revamped their image amid a struggling economy, bad publicity and less than optimal employment opportunities for their graduates.