Call for Proposals for 2024 AALS WILE Main Program: Obstacles to Gender Equality in the Legal Academy

Call for Proposals for 2024 AALS WILE Main Program:   

“Obstacles to Gender Equality in the Legal Academy”  

Panel Description:  

Despite the progress made in recent years, gender inequality remains a pervasive issue in the legal profession, particularly in academia. Women remain underrepresented in influential positions, and face systemic bias, discrimination, harassment, and other obstacles that limit their advancement and overall success. Law schools place a premium on statuses that have largely been defined by and through patriarchies. Visible and invisible status lines and distinctions are perpetuated by a legal academy that voices an often-empty commitment to equity. 

We invite proposals for the 2024 AALS WILE Main Program, dedicated to exploring the obstacles that face a diversity of women in the legal academy. We welcome proposals that address, but are not limited to, the following themes: 

• The impact of implicit bias and gender stereotypes on hiring, promotion, and tenure decisions in law schools.  
• The impact on career advancement and earning potential (or “motherhood tax”) for professional women due to parenting and/or caretaking responsibilities.  
• The role of institutional policies and practices in perpetuating inequality, such as implicit curricula, exclusionary practices, and lack of support for work-life balance. 
• The experiences of women of color, LGBTQ2S+ women, women with disabilities, and other marginalized groups in the legal academy. 
• The effect of gender disparities on teaching, research, and service activities. 
• The potential of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to foster a more equitable academic environment. 
• The implications of gender inequality for legal education, scholarship, and the legal profession at large. 
• The ways in which laws attacking tenure and prohibiting DEI trainings/offices will perpetuate gender inequality.   

We welcome submissions from law faculty, staff, and administrators at all stages of their careers. Submissions are due on or before Monday July 31, 2023, and should be sent to victoriahaneman@creighton.edu. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact Victoria Haneman.