Rodriguez: Three Ways To Improve AALS

Dan Rodriguez (Northwestern; Google Scholar; 2014 AALS President), AALS, Forward:

I would put at the top of my wish list of fundamental improvements to the Ass'n, improvements which can only happen with the resolve and hard work of a new director, and the contributions of volunteers who are part of the leadership crew:

First, AALS needs to step up as an organization to collect in a meaningfully systematic way data, data about all sorts of matters critical to our collective welfare.  This includes data concerning entry-level hiring (the pool, outcomes, etc), lateral hiring, visits, deans and other leadership positions -- in short, key data which bears on the workforce of the professiorate and management of member schools. ...

Second, and related to the above, AALS should actively encourage analysis and studies (small, medium size, and big) involving law school issues.  This includes not only faculty-related issues, but issues involving students, expenditures (including law school costs and financial aid), curricular initiatives, and outcomes. ...

Third and finally, AALS should look more actively for opportunities to facilitate conferences, meetings, and other gatherings (because of costs, it may well be that remote gatherings are a more reasonable compromise) to assist law professors, especially younger ones, with their work.  Strangely, professional development used to be a bigger part of the AALS agenda than currently. ...

[W]ith new leadership, and the fresh energy and perspectives it brings, it is a very good time for reflection upon what AALS could do but presently does not (or at least does not so much).