Memorable Moments from the 2026 Annual Meeting  | AALS Lens

Memorable Moments from the 2026 Annual Meeting  | AALS Lens
Memorable Moments from the 2026 Annual Meeting
January 16, 2026
By
Barbra Elenbaas
AALS Events
Last week, we welcomed over 2,200 law school faculty, deans, professional staff, and sponsors to New Orleans for the 120
th
AALS Annual Meeting!
Attendees gathered to explore the 2026 meeting theme “Impact. Excellence. Resilience.  The Enduring Contributions of Legal Education,” as selected by 2025 AALS President Austen L. Parrish (University of California, Irvine School of Law).
“It has been an honor serving as President during the Association’s 125
th
anniversary. When I chose my theme in August 2024, I chose to reflect on the enduring contributions of legal education, in part because it is the Association’s 125
th
anniversary. Partly, though, it was because of the growing misinformation and misunderstandings about legal education and law schools. While it’s important to recognize where we need to improve and innovate, it’s critical to recognize the good that law schools and our colleagues do for our communities and to push back on narratives that are simply false.”
2025 President Parrish during his report to the AALS House of Representatives on January 9.
By the Numbers
Spanning four days from January 6-9, the meeting included:
Over 1,000 speakers, moderators, and discussants.
More than 230 sessions, including moderated panels, discussion groups, and more.
35 receptions and networking events hosted by law schools and other organizations.
28 Works-in-Progress and New Voices sessions for junior faculty.
25 section awards ceremonies, and 39 section awards presented in person.
An exhibit hall where attendees connected with vendors and publishers.
Two annual traditions, the AALS Awards Ceremony and the AALS Reception.
Presidential Programs
Wednesday morning’s Presidential Plenary Session,
AALS at 125: Reflecting on History and Impact
,” examined the evolution of legal education and the Association’s effect on social and political matters in the United States.
Wednesday afternoon’s “
Legal Education, the Courts, and the Profession
” featured leaders of the bar and bench discussing ways in which state courts, law firms, law schools, and others have collaborated toward positive impacts in their communities.
Friday’s “
Rule of Law, Executive Orders, and the Legal Profession
” brought together managing partners of prominent law firms with others who have advised law firms and universities to discuss last year’s executive orders, regulatory pressure, and public accusations against major law firms and universities, the resulting legal challenges, the different responses by firms, and the implications for the profession.
2025 President Austen Parrish introduces the Presidential Session “AALS at 125: Reflecting on History and Impact.”
“AALS at 125” featured former AALS presidents and leaders in legal education, plus the authors of “The First 125 Years: An Illustrated History of the Association of American Law Schools.”
From left to right: Blake Morant (George Washington University Law School), Lauren Robel (Indiana University Maurer School of Law), and Daniel Rodriguez (Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law).
The panelists of “AALS at 125” from left to right: Austen Parrish, Elliott Milstein (American University, Washington College of Law), Blake Morant, AALS CEO Kellye Testy, Judith Areen (Georgetown University Law Center), Lauren Robel, Daniel Rodriguez, and Kimberly Jenkins Robinson (University of Virginia School of Law).
Austen Parrish moderates the second Presidential session “Legal Education, the Courts, and the Profession,” a conversation with leaders of the bench and bar about how judges, law firms, and schools can collaborate to positively impact their communities.
From left to right: Austen Parrish, Michelle Behnke (Boardman Clark), Judy Perry Martinez (Simon, Peragine, Smith, Redfearn LLP), Collins Seitz, Jr. (Supreme Court of Delaware), Nikia Gray (National Association for Law Placement), and Kellye Testy.
Nikia Gray and Kellye Testy at “Legal Education, the Courts, and the Profession.”
The third Presidential Session brought together managing partners of prominent law firms and others who have advised law firms and universities to discuss “Rule of Law, Executive Orders, and the Legal Profession.” From left to right, Ann Southworth (University of California, Irvine School of Law), Hailyn J. Chen (Munger Tolles & Olson LLP), and Mack E. Jenkins (Hecker Fink LLP).
You Might Have Missed…
With so much happening throughout the meeting, you may not have heard about these events last week:
The
National Jurist
named AALS CEO & Executive Director Kellye Testy at the
top of their annual list of Most Influential People in Legal Education
. The honor was announced during an event on January 7 in the AALS Annual Meeting Exhibit Hall. Testy was selected for her innovative leadership, embrace of technology, and support of law schools as they face modern challenges. Joining Testy on the
National Jurist
list are several current and former AALS leaders including:
2026 President
Danielle Conway
and President-Elect
Kevin Washburn
Executive Committee members
Leonard Baynes
and
Elizabeth Kronk Warner
TaxProf Blog
founder
Paul Caron
Past AALS Presidents
Austen Parrish,
Mark C. Alexander
Erwin Chemerinsky
, and
Darby Dickerson
2025 Deans Forum Steering Committee member
Melanie Leslie
and 2026 member
Camille Davidson
We announced a
new partnership with West Academic
, a BARBRI company, aimed at deepening the legal academy’s engagement with AI. The collaboration will focus on establishing three initiatives: a webinar series, development of online resources, and research on faculty and student attitudes toward AI.
We released the first-ever public AALS Annual Report,
available online now
CEO Testy and 2025 President Parrish met with leaders from the Association of Korean Law Schools to sign a Memorandum of Understanding to establish mutual support and embolden international relationships between law schools.
AALS CEO Kellye Testy is congratulated on being named the most influential person in legal education by Jack Crittenden, CEO & Publisher of The National Jurist.
The West Academic/BARBRI booth in the Exhibit Hall.
Audience members listening attentively during a sponsored Exhibit Hall Presentation, a new addition to the Annual Meeting program that allowed attendees to hear substantive programs directly from industry experts.
Attendees connect at the AALS Reception in the Exhibit Hall.
Attendees take a break from browsing the Exhibit Hall to pose for a group photo.
The Exhibit Hall featured many prominent academic publishers.
Attendees and exhibitors connect in the Exhibit Hall.
Attendees take a break from browsing the Exhibit Hall to pose for a group selfie.
Program Highlights
The AALS Annual Meeting features a wide variety of program types—learn more
here
. The 108 AALS Sections planned the majority of the sessions, addressing topics most relevant to their members. Topics chosen by AALS program committees also closely reflected important and timely issues.
Here
is a complete list of programs from the Annual Meeting.
Some highlights and unique sessions included:
Tuesday afternoon’s symposium on “Promoting the Rule of Law” and the annual “Session for First-Time Attendees,” where those new to the conference or to AALS have a chance to meet with AALS leadership and senior faculty and learn how to get the most out of the meeting. The session is always followed by a reception for new faculty.
Wednesday’s session with the
Journal of Legal Education,
where editors first shared updates about the
Journal
before introducing a panel, selected from a call for papers, that continued ongoing discussions regarding access and inclusion in legal education. Wednesday also featured the annual half-day Workshop for Pretenured Law School Teachers, where attendees received guidance from colleagues and faculty on navigating the tenure and promotion process. The day concluded with the yearly welcome and onboarding session for all incoming Section chairs and chairs-elect–key to the continuity and success of AALS Sections throughout the year.
Thursday’s all-day Dean’s Forum, followed by Friday’s half-day Advanced Workshop for Experienced Deans.
Friday also included two of the headline events at the Annual Meeting: the annual Awards Ceremony and the meeting of the House of Representatives.
An attendee asks a question during the yearly “Session for First-Time Attendees.”
Junior faculty connect at the Reception for New Law School Teachers, immediately after the first-timers session.
Panelists discuss the AALS research collaboration that led to the 2025 study “Women Attorneys in Higher Education Leadership.” From left to right: Report co-authors Katharine Traylor Schaffzin (University of Tennessee Winston College of Law) and Katie Kempner (AALS), Stephen W. Mazza (University of Kansas School of Law), Laura A. Rosenbury (Barnard College), and 2026 AALS President Danielle M. Conway (Penn State Dickinson Law).
An attendee speaks during the half-day AALS Symposium on the Rule of Law.
The Section on Institutional Advancement organized 10 substantive sessions throughout the conference. Here, speakers present at “Sharing Stewardship Success: Strategies & Stories from the Field.”
The Section on Institutional Advancement swag swap and business meeting.
Participants engage in the discussion group “Cultivating Resilience for Lawyers and Law Students During Crisis and Disaster.”
Todd Melnick (Fordham University School of Law) speaks at the Section on Law Libraries and Legal Information session “Cutting Through Hype: Generative AI Teaching and Use Cases That Actually Work.”
The AALS Open Source session “Teaching So Gen Z Students Can Learn.”
The first session of the annual half-day Workshop for Pretenured Law School Teachers “Advice to my Junior Self: What I Wish I Knew Then.”
A packed room for the Section on Teaching Methods program “Helping Every Student Develop Practice Ready Skills Across the Curriculum.”
AALS Awards Ceremony
The annual AALS Awards Ceremony, held this year on Friday, January 9, celebrates success and honors excellence in legal education. The
Order of the Coif Book Award
, AALS Section Chairs, winners of section awards, honorees of the Pro Bono Honor Roll, and Teachers of the Year were recognized and congratulated during the ceremony, and the following award winners were honored:
Ela Leshem
(Fordham Law School)
won the Scholarly Papers Competition
for her paper “
Law’s Shifting Circles
,” with honorable mentions for
Alicia Solow-Niederman
(The George Washington University Law School) for her paper “
AI and Doctrinal Collapse
” and
Roberto Tallarita
(Harvard Law School) for his paper “
Hohfeld in the Boardroom
.”
The
AALS Section on Children and the Law
won the
AALS Section of the Year Award
. This award honors excellence in member support and activities that promote AALS core values.
Joanna Grossman
(SMU Dedman School of Law) and
Kimberly Mutcherson
(Rutgers Law School) were the
winners of the Deborah Rhode Award
. This annual award is given to the law professor or lawyer who exemplifies the groundbreaking work, imagination, and inspired action of Deborah Rhode.
Kathleen C. Kim
(LMU Loyola Law School, Los Angeles) and
Rachel F. Moran
(Texas A&M University School of Law) were the
winners of the Michael A. Olivas Award
for Outstanding Leadership in Diversity and Mentoring in the Legal Academy. This award recognizes individuals who exemplify Olivas’s devotion to mentoring junior and aspiring faculty from underrepresented communities and promoting diversity, inclusion, and equity in the legal academy.
Deborah L. Rhode Award winners Joanna Grossman (left, SMU Dedman School of Law) and Kimberly Mutcherson (right, Rutgers Law School) with presenter Angela I. Onwuachi-Willig (center, Boston University School of Law).
Scholarly Papers Competition winner Ela Leshem (Fordham Law School) accepts her award.
Jonathan Todres (Georgia State University College of Law) accepts the Section of the Year award on behalf of the Section on Children and the Law.
Rachel F. Moran (Texas A&M University School of Law) accepts her Michael A. Olivas Award.
Kathleen C. Kim (LMU Loyola Law School, Los Angeles) accepts her Michael A. Olivas Award.
Jonathan Gienapp (left, Stanford University) and Andrew Kahrl (right, University of Virginia) accept their Order of the Coif Book Awards.
Association Business
The House of Representatives, the governing body of AALS, gathered for its yearly meeting on Friday, January 9. The House voted in Kevin K. Washburn (University of California, Berkeley School of Law) as President-Elect and Elizabeth Kronk Warner (University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law) and Richard Moberly (University of Nebraska College of Law) as members of the Executive Committee. Anthony W. Crowell and Renée Hutchins Laurent ended their terms, and Austen L. Parrish started his year as Immediate Past President.
The meeting of the House also included a segment in memoriam of law faculty lost in the past year and the annual report from the Executive Director. 2026 AALS President Danielle Conway (Penn State Dickinson Law) gave her inaugural address and announced “
Emancipate. Academic. Freedom.
” as the theme for her Presidential year and for the 2027 Annual Meeting.
“The theme —Emancipate. Academic. Freedom. — focuses the lens on higher education and law schools as sites of connection for education, intellectual inquiry, and knowledge advancement. It encourages deep thinking about the responsibilities of law schools to uphold democratic ideals, to resist pre-compliance, and to contest actions of those who would parlay power through political polarization, ideological censorship, and state interference.”
2026 President Conway during her address to the House of Representatives on January 9.
Danielle Conway (Penn State Dickinson Law) officially begins her term as 2026 AALS President.
At the annual meeting of the House of Representatives, the governing body of the AALS accomplishes required association business including the election of officers and members of the Executive Committee.
Austen Parrish delivers his report as outgoing 2025 AALS President.
Kellye Testy delivers her Executive Director’s report.
President Conway delivers her inaugural address.
The theme for 2026 and for next year’s Annual Meeting, as set by President Conway, is “Emancipate. Academic. Freedom.”
The House welcomes incoming President-Elect Kevin Washburn (center, University of California, Berkeley School of Law), and Executive Committee members Elizabeth Kronk Warner (left, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law) and Richard Moberly (right, University of Nebraska College of Law).
Thank you to all AALS section chairs, moderators, speakers, and committee members for their contributions to the planning, programming, and support of another successful Annual Meeting.
Program Committee for the 2026 Annual Meeting
Alena M. Allen
, Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center
Andrew R. Klein
, Wake Forest University School of Law
Madeleine M. Landrieu
, Loyola University New Orleans College of Law,
Chair
Christiana Ochoa
, Indiana University Maurer School of Law
Andrew M. Perlman
, Suffolk University Law School
Committee to Review Scholarly Papers for the 2026 Annual Meeting
Aziza Ahmed,
Boston University School of Law,
Chair
Valena E. Beety,
Indiana University Maurer School of Law
Jessica Eaglin,
Cornell Law School
Christopher Hampson,
University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College
of Law
Christopher B. Jaeger,
Baylor University School of Law
Felipe Jiménez,
University of Southern California Gould School of Law
Planning Committee for 2026 Workshop for Pretenured Law School Teachers
Luis Fuentes-Rohwer
, Indiana University Maurer School of Law,
Chair
Roscoe Jones, Jr.
, Drake University Law School
Eboni S. Nelson
, University of Connecticut School of Law
Committee on Arc of Career Programs
Michèle Alexandre
, Loyola University Chicago School of Law,
Chair
Jennifer Oliva
, University of California, Hastings College of the Law
Brooke D. Coleman
, Seattle University School of Law
Katherine A. Macfarlane
, Syracuse University College of Law
Aviva Abramovsky
, University of Idaho College of Law
Richard Moberly
, University of Nebraska College of Law
Planning Committee for the 2026 Deans Forum Program
Camille M. Davidson
, Mitchell Hamline School of Law
, Chair
Melanie B. Jacobs
, University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law
Twinette L. Johnson
, Saint Louis University School of Law
Johanna Kalb
, University of San Francisco School of Law
Kenneth C. Randall
, Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University
Charles H. (Charlie) Rose III
, Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law
Committee on Sections
Emilio R. Longoria,
St. Mary’s University of San Antonio School of Law
Matthew Sipe,
University of Baltimore School of Law
Jill C. Engle
, Penn State Dickinson Law,
Chair
Sarah Schendel
, Suffolk University Law School
Joshua A. Douglas
, University of Kentucky, J. David Rosenberg College of Law
Nancy J. Soonpaa
Texas Tech University School of Law
Deans Steering Committee
Anthony Crowell
, New York Law School
Reneé Hutchins Laurent
, University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law
Lolita Buckner Inniss
, University of Colorado Law School
Elizabeth Kronk Warner
, University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law,
Chair
Melanie Leslie
, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
Melanie D. Wilson
, Washington and Lee University School of Law
Kerry Abrams
, Duke University School of Law
Roger A. Fairfax
, Howard University School of Law
Johanna Kalb
University of San Francisco School of Law
Austen Parrish
, University of California, Irvine School of Law
Leonard M. Baynes
, University of Houston Law Center
Danielle M. Conway
, Penn State Dickinson Law
Daniel M. Filler,
Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law
Melanie B. Jacobs
University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law
Stacy Leeds
, Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law
Richard E. Moberly
University of Nebraska College of Law
Patricia E. Roberts
St. Mary’s University School of Law
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