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Law professor tenure debate
April 05, 2006 by Ross Runkel at LawMemo
When I had tenure as a law professor, I once offered to the university president to trade my tenure for a good parking place. The offer was rejected.
Tenure has always been controversial.
The latest twist is that the American Bar Association (ABA), which is "recognized" by the US Secretary of Education as a "Nationally Recognized Accrediting Agency In The Field Of Legal Education," has applied for reaffirmation of this esteemed status. It's important to the ABA because they are the main group that accredits law schools. For most law students, ABA accreditation is essential because that is the big ticket for being able to take state bar exams.
In response to the ABA's application, a group of law school deans has filed a comment that accuses the ABA of "seeking to dictate terms and conditions of employment" in the individual law schools.
Pretty heavy.
Some say this group of deans (American Law Deans Association) has its guns pointed directly at tenure for law professors. I doubt that, but the groups statement is pretty strong. American Law Deans Association Public Comment.
Discussed in a National Law Journal article - Law Deans Dispute ABA's Tenure Power.
Geoffrey Manne talks about this at Truth on the Market: Tenure and the Law Deans
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