January 03, 2025

Connecting, innovating and inspiring at the 2025 AALS Annual Meeting

The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University will join the nation’s top legal minds at the 2025 Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Annual Meeting in San Francisco, Jan. 7 to 11. ASU Law faculty will contribute to a variety of panels, from groundbreaking scholarship on AI and climate change to innovative models for alternatively scheduled JD programs.

The AALS Annual Meeting brings together legal professionals from across disciplines to celebrate excellence in legal education. This year, ASU Law celebrates two award recipients:

Willard H. Pedrick Dean, Regents and Foundation Professor of Law Stacy Leeds will receive the Section on Women in Legal Education Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honors her work advancing women in law, improving law school administration and enhancing curriculum related to women’s issues in legal education.

Professor of Law Justin Weinstein-Tull will be recognized with the Civil Procedure Section’s Junior Scholarship Award for his exceptional academic achievement in civil procedure.

Professor of Practice and Executive Director of Indian Gaming and Self-Governance Derrick Beetso will receive the Indian Nations and Indigenous Peoples Early Career Scholarship Award for his dedication with promoting the communication of ideas, interests and activities among members of his field.

The awards ceremony will take place on Jan. 9.

ASU Law faculty will also participate in the following panels and sessions during the meeting:

Presentations/Discussions:

• Mary Bowman: The ABA Reexamines Faculty Employment Security and Staus: The Academy Needs to Pay Attention – Jan. 10, 12:50–2:20 p.m.
• Laura Coordes: There Ought to Be a Law: Turning Your Scholarship into Legislation Through the Uniform Laws Process – Jan 9, 8–9:30 a.m.
• Evelyn Cruz: The Janus Impact of Co-ethnic Communication: How Helping Monolingual Immigrant Clients Influences Bilingual Latino Lawyers’ Sense of Self, Social Role and Belonging – Jan. 11, 8–9:30 a.m.
• Jamie Grischkan: The Federal Reserve's Path to Power – Jan. 11, 8–9:30 a.m.
• Rhett Larson: Water, Woe, and Wizardry in the Era of Climate Change – Jan. 10, 2:40–4:10 p.m.
• Trevor Reed: Constructing Tradition: How the Humanities Inform the Role of Tradition in the Law – Jan. 10, 8–9:30 a.m.
• Esther Hong: The Role of Law and Policy in Supporting Student Mental Health – Jan. 10, 9:50–11:20 a.m.

Moderators and Chairs:

• Rachel Stabler: Teaching in the Age of Generative AI: Beyond the Basics panel and transitioning to Chair of the Legal Writing Section – Jan. 8, 8–11:30 a.m.
• Kimberly Holst: Serving on the Executive Committee for the Section on Global Engagement and representing ASU in the House of Representatives.
• Toni Miceli: Chairing the Part-Time Division Programs Section and moderating Courageous New Models: Innovative Alternatively Scheduled JD Program panel – Jan. 8, 8–11:20 a.m.

Written by Crystal Jimenez