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98 Denver L. Rev. F. 1 (2020-2021)

handle is hein.journals/dnvrlwfv98 and id is 1 raw text is: A RECKONING OVER LAW FACULTY INEQUALITY MELANIE D. WILSON* ABSTRACT Below, I review Dr. Meera E. Deo's book, Unequal Profession: Race and Gender in Legal Academia, published last year by Stanford University Press. In Unequal Profession, Deo, an expert on institutional diversity, pre- sents findings from a first-of-its-kind empirical study, documenting many of the challenges women of color law faculty confront daily in legal aca- demia. Deo uses memorable quotes and powerful stories from the study's faculty participants to present her important work in 169 readable and re- vealing pages. UnequalProfession begins by outlining the barriers women of color face when entering law teaching and progresses through the life cycle of the law professor (including the treacherous tenure process). It covers leadership, before concluding with work-life balance. UnequalProfession is especially timely and important. In the wake of George Floyd's death and the national outrage that it ignited, law schools denounced racism and vowed to take concrete, anti-racist steps to improve society, the legal profession, and law schools themselves. Many law fac- ulties committed to hiring and retaining more underrepresented faculty colleagues and, correspondingly, to attracting a more diverse student body. If law schools are serious about changing, then they should read Unequal Profession. As this review demonstrates, Unequal Profession is a defini- tive resource for improving inequality in legal education. INTRODUCTION As lawyers, we tend to think of ourselves as the defenders of justice - for the rich and poor, Black and white. Indeed, this ideal is engraved above the entrance to the United States Supreme Court with the words Equal Justice Under Law. Many aspiring students choose law school, seeking a path to public service and hoping to become advocates for social change.' But, before you can become a lawyer licensed to defend justice, most states require that you obtain a law degree.2 In the United States, *Melanie D. Wilson is Dean Emerita and Lindsay Young Distinguished Professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law. Before serving as dean at Tennessee, she was associate dean for academic affairs and the inaugural director of diversity and inclusion at the University of Kansas School of Law. The author is thankful to her colleague, Professor Wendy A. Bach, for comuments on an early draft and appre- ciates the thoughtful edits of students on the Denver Law Review. 1. See Highlightsfrom Before the JD: Undergraduate Views on Law School, ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN LAW SCHOOLS (AALS), 3 (2018), https://www.aals.org/wp-content/up- loads/2018/09/BJDReportsHghlights.pdf. 2. In Washington, Vermont, California, and Virginia, people can read the law as part of