On Oct. 17 鈥� 19, the University of Colorado Law School hosted the Women in Legal Education Conference at Colorado Law.听 , Dean and Provost鈥檚 Professor of Law, is the 2024 chair of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Women in Legal Education (WILE) Section, and in that capacity she revived this once-regular mid-year event that focuses on the pivotal role of women in the legal academy, and beyond to law practice. The conference explored how gender identity, particularly in conjunction with other facets of identity, influences participation in the legal sphere. The conference was co-sponsored by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). 听
鈥淭his conference is an opportunity to acknowledge and reflect upon the substantial changes that have occurred in legal education over the last 100 years,鈥� said Dean Inniss. 听鈥淚n the early years of the twentieth century, women made up five percent of law students and an even smaller proportion of law professors and deans; women of color were almost entirely absent. Now, in the year 2024, women constitute over 55 percent of law students nationally (at Colorado Law it鈥檚 over 60 percent), about 45 percent of law faculty, and over 40 percent of law deans, and women of color are increasingly present. This is a meteoric change, and it is one that has immense consequences for the entire legal field.鈥澨�
Following the event鈥檚 kick-off Meet & Greet on Thursday, attendees reconvened at Colorado Law on Friday for three panels touching on the continued integration of women into the legal academy, their pivotal role, and status-related issues within law schools. 听听
鈥淔rom the time when I was in law school until now, the legal academy is almost unrecognizable,鈥� said , Interim president and CEO of the Law School Admission Council. 鈥淚t鈥檚 no longer unusual to see women faculty or deans and given the number of women who are now enrolling in law school, I won鈥檛 be surprised to see a majority of women faculty and deans in the not too far distant future.鈥澨�
Panelists at the conference came from a wide variety of roles in the legal academy and legal practice. Attendees heard from faculty, deans, law practice leaders and leaders of legal governance organizations such as the AALS and the American Bar Assocation.听
鈥淔rankly, I cannot imagine where we鈥檇 be without the women I have come to know in legal education鈥� Krinsky remarked. 鈥淭heir brilliance, their thoughtfulness, their willingness to take risks and effect change 鈥� they have changed the academy for the better. 听
The conference concluded Saturday with a final panel titled 鈥淓xamining the feminization of our student bodies and its potential impact on our missions, visions, values, and access.鈥� Panelists included Colorado Law鈥檚 , Associate Dean for Instructional Development and听Teaching Professor; and , Senior Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management.听
, Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University and President of AALS, described the value of the experience. 听
鈥淚t was replenishing to gather with so many thoughtful and accomplished people from across the country and beyond in Boulder at the conference on Women in Legal Education to reflect on, and celebrate, the progress and excellence that women have achieved in the legal academy, while acknowledging that there is more work to do, and collaborating on ideas to advance that progress.鈥澨�
Not only did the conference serve as a chance to bring together legal academy leaders from across the nation, it also provided an opportunity for Colorado Law students to learn from those who have had an invaluable impact on the field.听
鈥淭he conference was an empowering experience where I got to hear from some of the most intelligent and impactful women I have ever met,鈥� said Julia Litecky 鈥�27. 鈥淭hrough this experience, I learned there is still a long way to go for women in law, but these women and so many others are paving the way in creating a more inclusive and equitable legal environment for current law students.鈥� 听
Learn more about the conference and view the full list of panelists by visiting /law/2024-aals-women-legal-education-conference.听
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