Sessions Information

  • January 10, 2010
    9:00 am - 10:45 am
    Session Type: Section Programs
    Session Capacity: N/A
    Hotel: N/A
    Room: Magnolia
    Floor: Third Floor

    This panel focuses on the declining minority law student enrollment and includes a review of the effects of the economy, the success of President Obama, and the U.S. News and World Report rankings on minority law student enrollment. Drawing upon social intelligence and organizational psychology literature, Professor Henderson presents evidence that legal education places disproportionate weight on relatively small differences in analytical ability and virtually no weight on the non-analytical abilities required for long-term professional success and the health and vitality of legal service organizations.  Professor Henderson argues that there are enormous institutional rewards for law schools that align admissions and curricular decisions with the skills and attributes associated with effective, innovative and ethical lawyering; under such a system, diversity is a source of competitive advantage.  Professor Johnson will discuss his work in collecting data regarding minority student enrollment, disputing the notion that the low enrollment numbers among blacks and Latinos are due to dwindling applications from those groups.  Professor Rivera analyzes trends in Latina/o enrollment and the implications of these trends on the legal profession and legal education and describes how programs can improve individual student success in admissions and retention.  Professor Roman examines the relationship between faculty diversity and declining minority law student enrollment.  Professor Nelson is the moderator for the panel.

Session Speakers
Indiana University Maurer School of Law
Speaker

Columbia Law School
Speaker

University of South Carolina School of Law
Moderator

City University of New York School of Law
Speaker

Florida International University College of Law
Speaker

Session Fees
  • 7160 Minority Groups: $0.00