On the surface, it sounds like the exact same issues that independent legal bloggers (including the "scambloggers" and the guys at Law School Transparency) have become experts on over the past two years. Furthermore, journalists like David Segal (and even some at the ABA Journal) have examined in-depth the current state of legal education.
But now let's take a look at the distinguished guest list for this symposium, shall we?
| Dean Erwin Chemerinsky, Keynote Speaker | University of California, Irvine School of Law |
| Dean Gail B. Argawal | University of Iowa College of Law |
| Professor Judith C. Areen | Georgetown University Law Center |
| Justice David L. Baker | Iowa Supreme Court |
| Joel W. Barrows | Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Iowa |
| Dean Jay Conison | Valparaiso University School of Law |
| Dean Michael A. Fitts | University of Pennsylvania Law School |
| Kelly M. Hnatt | Partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP |
| Dean Kevin R. Johnson | University of California, Davis School of Law |
| Dean Richard A. Matasar | New York Law School |
| Judge Michael J. Melloy | U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals |
| Dean Cyndi Nance | University of Arkansas School of Law |
| Associate Dean Larry E. Ribstein | University of Illinois College of Law |
| Associate Dean Catherine E. Smith | University of Denver Sturm College of Law |
| Dean Kent D. Syverud | Washington University in St. Louis School of Law |
| Judge Deanell R. Tacha | U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals |
| Dean Kellye Y. Testy | University of Washington School of Law |
| President David E. Van Zandt | The New School |
3 judges, 2 working attorneys, and 13 current or former law school administrators.
Doesn't this seem a little imbalanced?
To be fair, some of the administrators, such as Larry Ribstein or Richard Matasar, are actually established in the field or on record as commenting on these issues. But many of them aren't, and it seems to me that letting someone like Dean Chemerinsky of all people serve as keynote speaker eradicates any objective, academic intent of the program. After all, this is a man running a manipulative scheme whose sole mission was to buy high LSAT scores to game the USNWR rankings.
In fact, three weeks ago, when I heard about this event, I emailed the University of Iowa Law Review expressing my detailed concerns on these exact points. After all, you would never host an honest symposium about the future of the automobile where almost all the participants are from Ford, GM, Exxon, Chevron, etc. Why do it for law?
Iowa Law Review has not even bothered to send me a response.
Let's hope some of the honest administrators and non-law school personnel make this a worthwhile event rather than the de facto advertising circus that the guest list would seem to suggest.
And they didn't invite me? I would be more than happy to beat these $elf-inter$ted "profe$$or$" down with the facts, logic, charts - and common sense.
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