This Week in Legal Education News

Over the last decade, AALS has kept law school leadership, faculty, and staff informed with its weekly Legal Education News Digest and Blogs Digest. Sign up to receive these digests by email. 

To keep law school faculty and staff up to date with the latest legal education news, we collect articles on new programs, collaborations with other schools, faculty accomplishments, awards, clinical activities, and special events. You can share news and updates with the editors of the weekly digest here. With the launch of our online platform LENS, we will be sharing a weekly roundup of legal education news, highlighting the most important stories.  

AALS Legal Education News Digest – Week Ending April 18, 2025 
Legal Education Blogs Digest – Week Ending April 18, 2025   

Here are a few articles of note from the past week: 

• AALS co-hosted a talk with Harvard Law Center on the Legal Profession, Equal Justice Works, and other organizations focused on increasing access-to-justice and the rule of law. (Harvard Law Center on the Legal Profession) 
• A conservative group sued the American Bar Association alleging that a scholarship program focused on diversity is discriminatory. The ABA issued a statement that they remain dedicated to eliminating bias and promoting diversity in the legal profession. This lawsuit is just one of a series of legal actions taken against diversity programs and scholarships in the legal profession. (Reuters) 
• Law students have sued the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) over their investigations into law firm diversity programs. Three anonymous law students are claiming that the EEOC does not have the authority to look at sensitive personal information about applicants and employees.  (HR Dive) 
• Some law schools have moved law firm summer associate job interviews from July and August to May and June. (Reuters)  

Law School Dean Moves and Hires

• Vermont Law and Graduate School president Rodney Smolla announces that he will step down in July. (VT Digger)  

Law School Programs and Clinics

• A look at the Michigan State University Law Public Defenders Clinic. (The State News)   
• Rutgers Law students provide free estate planning services to first responders. (Rutgers Law School)  
• University of Virginia Law Supreme Court Litigation Clinic wins employee retirement fees case in the US Supreme Court. (UVA Law)  
• Widener Commonwealth Law hosts clinic to provide free estate planning services to the elderly. (Widener University Commonwealth Law School)  

Higher Education

• Harvard University announced that they will not negotiate with a list of demands from the federal government to avoid federal funding cuts. In response to Harvard’s announcement, a federal education task force has announced that it will freeze $2.2 billion in federal funds to the institution. Harvard’s decision to not comply with the demands could set an example for other institutions as many universities have been faced with similar scrutiny from the federal government. (MSN)  
• Cuts to federal research funding and immigration issues for international students could lead to fewer graduate students at universities in the future. Experts warn that the decrease in graduate students will have a negative impact on both students and faculty. The loss of funding has also caused students to be wary of pursuing PhD programs as financial aid will be limited. (Inside Higher Ed)