Diverse checks in with some of the nation’s women law school deans, including the only five who are Black. Despite tremendous gains made by women in our nation’s leading law schools, the numbers reveal that there is still room for improvement. As of the 2006-2007 academic year, 47 out of the 200 American Bar Association-approved U.S. law schools were being led by women, according to the ABA. Here, the deans we caught up with, many of them the first women to lead their respective institutions, reflect on everything from first lady Michelle Obama’s impact on the image of Black women lawyers to diversifying the legal profession. For more on their backgrounds and other reflections, visit www.diverseeducation.com/womenlawdeans.
Linda L. Ammons assumed the deanship of Widener University School of Law in July 2006, becoming the first woman and African-American to lead the law school, which has campuses in Delaware and Pennsylvania.
On her career highlight: “The highlight of my career happens every May when students graduate and what they have been working so hard to accomplish is realized. Knowing I had a hand in that makes me feel very proud. Also, having a professor (Joe Biden) who becomes the vice president of the United States is exciting as well.”
Phoebe Haddon was named last month dean of the University of Maryland School of Law, the first African-American to lead the school in its 185-year history. On the challenge of diversifying law schools and the profession:
“During this period of severe economic downturn the temptation will be to retreat from efforts to diversify the profession and to strengthen the pipeline of students of color who are able to attend law school. The recession will also likely affect the availability of resources for less privileged students, disproportionately having an impact on minority students. I am also concerned about retrenchment in job offers and opportunities for advancement for new minority lawyers (as well as others). It is important for faculty and members of the profession to mentor students and young lawyers about productive and creative ways to meet the challenges of the economic environment.”
JoAnne Epps became dean of Temple University’s Beasley School of Law in July 2008. Epps, a longtime professor at Temple, is also the first woman dean of Temple’s law school.
On Michelle Obama: “Michele Obama projects strength, competence and confidence. To associate those images with Black women who are lawyers is beneficial to everyone — those of us who are Black women lawyers as well as those who aren’t.”
