Faculty Lead Conversations at Annual AALS Meeting

Brooklyn Law School had a strong presence at the 2023 annual meeting of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) in San Diego, Calif., where faculty members contributed their research, received honors for their work, and joined professors, deans, and administrators from around the nation.

The theme of this year’s conference, held Jan. 3-7, was “How Law Schools Can Make a Difference.

Among the 21 faculty members attending the conference, the following professors were featured in panel discussions.

Jan. 4, 3 p.m.: Professor Maria Termini moderated a panel about the NextGen Bar Exam, which outlined its impact on teaching and law school communities.

Jan. 5, 8 a.m.: Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Scholarship Jocelyn Simonson spoke on a panel about Tommie Shelby’s new book, The Idea of Prison Abolition.

Jan. 6, 1 p.m.: Professor Sarah Lorr, who was selected from a Call for Papers, presented, “The Politicization of Parenthood” for a panel on works-in-progress in Family and Juvenile Law.

Jan. 6, 1 p.m.: Professor Susan Hazeldean moderated the works-in-progress in Family and Juvenile Law panel that also featured Professor Lorr.

Jan. 6, 3 p.m.: Professor Lisa Washington, who was selected from a Call for Papers, presented “’Un-capturing’ Family Regulation” for a panel on works-in-progress in Family and Juvenile Law.

Jan. 6, 3 p.m.: Vijay Raghavan, who was selected from a Call for Papers, presented “Retheorizing Consumer Financial Reform” for a panel of works-in-progress in Financial Institutions and Consumer Services.

Jan. 6, 3 p.m.: Heidi Gilchrist was a commentator for the works-in-progress in Legal Writing, Reasoning, & Research panel.

In addition to the speakers mentioned above, attendees included Dean Michael T. Cahill; Professor Cynthia Godsoe, who is the outgoing chair of the AALS Section on Criminal Justice and on the Executive Committee of the Family and Juvenile Law Section; and Professor Anna Roberts, who is on the Executive Committee of the Evidence Section. Professors Godsoe and Roberts helped organize conference panels for their committees. In addition to Professor Hazeldean’s role as panel moderator, she also serves as the Chair of the Family and Juvenile Law Section.

Several professors received honors at AALS, including Associate Dean of Experiential Education and Professor of Law Stacy Caplow and Public Service Office Director and Adjunct Professor of Clinical Law Danielle Sorken, who were each named members to the inaugural class of the AALS Pro Bono Honor Roll; Professor and Director of Legal Writing Heidi Brown received the Award for Outstanding Contributions to Well-Being in Legal Education. Professor Alexis Hoag-Fordjour, co-director of the Center for Criminal Justice, was named a runner-up in the AALS Criminal Law Section’s Junior Scholars Paper Competition for her article, forthcoming in the NYU Law Review, White is Right: The Racial Construction of Effective Assistance of Counsel.