THE IMPACT OF INVOLVEMENT WITH THE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN LAW SCHOOLS
by Jeffrey A. Dodge, Associate Dean for Academic and Student Services
January 2020 — In early January each year, law professors and administrators from around the country gather to discuss current legal issues, engage as a community, and learn from each other to advance our teaching and scholarship. The Association of American Law Schools (AALS) annual meeting attracts hundreds, maybe even thousands, of attendees each year and is a welcomed way to begin the spring semester.
Now in its 114th year, the AALS annual meeting is also a time for subject matter area and affinity identified sections to sponsor programs, hold business meetings, and elect new leaders. In 2019, I had the opportunity to serve as chair of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues (SOGII) section, a conclusion to my roles as executive committee member, secretary, and chair-elect over the last few years. I’m proud to share that the SOGII section was involved in three well received programs this year, collaborating with the Mental Health and the Law and Student Services sections on panels as well as hosting a New Voices workshop. Under my leadership the section also created and awarded the first ever LGBTQ+ Inclusive Excellence Award.
My involvement with AALS actually started by rising to the chair role of the International Exchange section in 2012. As a result of 14 years of annual meetings I’ve grown as a legal educator, attorney, and professional. Being involved with AALS has vastly expanded my network while advancing the work of my law schools. In 2020 I’m honored to continue this service as a new executive committee member of the Student Services section and return as a non-officer member of SOGII.
I’m proud of my affiliation with this important organization and always look forward to welcoming new colleagues to its opportunities.
Associate Dean Jeffrey A. Dodge has spent over 15 years in legal education. Dean Dodge has broad experience overseeing law school and University-level offices of student services, international programs, admissions, academic success, career services, and more. He has taught and presented on topics in the fields of family law, international human rights, and comparative law. His scholarship focuses on the intersections of family law and inequity, and law school academic success and diversity. Dean Dodge is currently the vice chair of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Student Services Section. He previously served as chair of both the AALS Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues and International Legal Exchange sections. Dean Dodge has served on the national diversity committee of the Law School Admissions Council Diversity Committee, as an American Bar Association accreditation site evaluator, and a two time director of the CLEO Pre-Law Summer Institute.