“Who Me? A Law Professor?” aims to diversify law faculty

Did you know that 63 percent of the law professors in the U.S. are men? 70 percent of full professors are men. 74 percent of law professors are white or Caucasian.

Only 7 percent of law professors are African American and only 3 percent are Latino or Hispanic. 44 percent of all law professors come from only 11 law schools.

If you think there needs to be more diversity in the ranks of law school teachers, perhaps you should consider becoming a law professor. Or perhaps you know someone who should. Law students deserve to see professors who look like they do. And the legal academy deserves to hear all the voices engaged in and affected by the law.

Southern Illinois University School of Law is holding workshops entitled “Who Me? A Law Professor?” to encourage those are considering – or who should consider – becoming a law professor. The workshop will be Thursday, December 11, at 6 pm, at the Sheraton Towers in Chicago, in conjunction with the Illinois State Bar Association Midwinter Meeting.

The workshop will cover: why being a law professor is a great profession, the process of applying to become a law professor, what law schools look for, what to do now to prepare for this profession. There will be handouts and ample time for questions and answers.

Please RSVP to Kristyw@siu.edu if planning to attend.

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The statistics described in this article come from Association of American Law Schools Statistical Report on Law Faculty, 2007-2008, available at www.aals.org, and are based on self-reporting by faculty.