Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University professors Jennifer Gundlach and Akilah Folami published in-depth book reviews in the recent issue of the AALS Journal of Legal Education.
Lessons Learned: Stories of a Teacher and Teaching
Emily and Stephen Mendel Distinguished Professor of Law Jennifer Gundlach, together with Professor Mark C. Niles of St. John’s University, reviewed “Lessons Learned: Stories of a Teacher and Teaching,” by David M. Becker. The book is written in a first-person narrative style told by a fictional law professor and student. According to Gundlach and Niles, “topics that receive insightful and instructive attention include faculty/student relations, including mentoring and professional development; effective pedagogical approaches; changes in the legal market over time and their impact on student expectations and ambitions; and entry into and success within academia by law professors.”
A message Gundlach and Niles gleaned from the book “is that not all law school reforms intended to benefit law students have succeeded. Perhaps proponents of reform of the legal academy have been too eager to push for change without considering all of the consequences, particularly on the personal and professional development of the various students who are the intended beneficiaries of the reform.” The full review is available online.
Unequal Profession: Race and Gender in Legal Academia
Professor Akilah Folami, associate dean for research and faculty development and faculty director for diversity and inclusion, reviewed Meera Deo’s book “Unequal Profession: Race and Gender in Legal Academia.” The book provides both empirical data and stories about the experience of faculty at legal institutions in different faculty positions. It explores how race and gender affects not only their own experience, but also legal education as a whole.
Professor Folami frames her review using the lyrics by 1990s rapper Lil’ Kim to “Money, Power, and Respect, It’s the Key to Life: Money, Power, and Respect, Help You Sleep at Night.” The review concludes, “Deo begins us on a journey of uncovering what ails the profession overall, which itself is no easy task for an industry apt to critique and challenge other professions but not itself. In ‘Unequal Profession,’ Deo focuses on the diversity and inclusion issues that have long plagued the practicing profession in general and specifically—legal academia in particular. I found Deo’s work to be an invaluable and resource-rich contribution to the discourse; it provides the empirical data long missing and, as such, serves as a renewed clarion call to action with clear guidance on the way forward.” Folami’s complete review can be read online.
