Brian Leiter's Law School Reports

Notre Dame Law's "run" on admissions deposits

A curious story, no doubt reflecting what an unusual admissions season this is.   I imagine this is going to lead to a run on deposits at other schools too, even those who don't issues these kinds of announcements.

Attack on academic freedom at U of San Diego School of Law continues

The irresponsible complaint about Professor Tom Smith's blog post criticizing the Chinese government has now been forwarded to the University "for review."  This is a disgrace and a direct attack on the academic freedom of every professor at USD, who are now on notice that if students file a frivolous complaint it will lead to an investigation and "review" (and possible sanction?).  What a shame that Dean Schapiro should have torpedoed his own Deanship so soon after taking office with this spineless behavior.  The faculty should demand his resignation.

Report finds no clear evidence that judge's political objection to a faculty candidate at Toronto affected hiring decision...

...but the separate investigation of the judge continues.  (Earlier coverage.)

9th Circuit's Equal Pay Act decision could have ramifications for retention offers to faculty

MOVING TO FRONT FROM MARCH 18--APOLOGIES FOR THE DELAY IN APPROVING COMMENTS; MORE WELCOME

Blog Emperor Caron excerpts the relevant parts of the decision.   To put it simply:  if Professor Male turns down an offer from Harvard for an extra 40k in salary, Professor Female (in the same department, doing the same general kind of work, who previously had been paid the same as Professor Male) may have an equal pay claim even if she never got a Harvard offer.   Thoughts from experts on these issues?  Do I misunderstand the potential import of the decision?  Submit your comment only once, it may take awhile to appear.

Academic Freedom Alliance (AFA) statement on University of San Diego law professor case

A propos this, the AFA has issued an excellent statement.  USD Dean Schapiro, as an experienced administrator and academic, must surely realize his misstep here.

Yet another, much more serious academic freedom violation at the University of San Diego School of Law

Readers may recall that the last USD Law Dean did not understand academic freedom, but his transgressions pale by comparison to this new incident with a new Dean, Robert Schapiro.

The background:   USD law professor Tom Smith posted about the alleged dischonesty of the Chinese government, including the possibility that the coronavirus emerged from a Chinese government lab in Wuhan.   Professor Smith quipped:  "If you believe that the coronavirus did not escape from the lab in Wuhan, you have to at least consider that you are an idiot who is swallowing whole a lot of Chinese cock swaddle."  I confess I'd never heard the phrase "cock swaddle" before, but in context the meaning clear:   the Chinese government is spinning and concealing information.

Unbelievably, students complained, misreading this as a slur aimed at Chinese people.  Even more remarkably, the Dean treated the complaint seriously and an "investigation" is allegedly under way.  

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Did Georgetown violate its own "free speech principles" in the case of the adjunct fired for offensive and racially charged remarks?

Almost all readers will have heard about this case (if not, see Blog Emperor Caron's coverage), but now a philosopher in the business school at Georgetown, who serves on the university's free speech committee, has called for the committee to investigate further what transpired.

Reform of the American Presidency after Trump

Law professors Jack Goldsmith (Harvard) and Eric Posner (Chicago) discuss the topic with Dr. Donna Lyons (Law, Trinity College Dublin).

The big increase in applicants to law schools this year (and the big increase in high-end LSAT scores)

Informative piece at the ABA Journal.  This bodes very well for the law teaching market in 2021-22, as does the impending end of the pandemic.  I wouldn't be surprised if next academic year more than 100 new tenure-track faculty were hired, a figure we haven't seen in a decade.

Another new faculty-edited journal: American Journal of Law & Equality

Here.  The editors are all Harvard Law professors:  Randall Kennedy, Martha Minow, Cass Sunstein.  They have not yet announced an editorial board.