The Association of American Law Schools and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago have recently released the American Law School Faculty Study, providing a snapshot of the demographics and characteristics of law teaching and law faculty today.
In an analysis of 117 law schools and 1,890 faculty during the fall 2023 semester, the study authors found that African Americans represent 10 percent of law professors with less than 5 years of academic experience and 13 percent of those with 6 to 10 years of educational experience. White scholars remain overrepresented in law school faculty, representing 63 percent of professors with less than 5 years in academia and 69 percent of those with 6 to 10 years of teaching experience.
Among senior-level professors, Black scholars represent 7 percent of faculty with 11 to 20 years of teaching experience, and 8 percent of those with over 20 years of academic experience. Again, White professors are overrepresented in these subsets, representing 71 percent of professors with 11 to 20 years of experience, 75 percent of those with 21 to 30 years of experience, and 83 percent of those with over 30 years of experience in academia. Despite remaining far below the representation of White law professors, Black faculty are the second most represented racial group in their field.
Black professors and other professors of color represent a combined 42 percent of tenure-track faculty members, but only 25 percent of tenured faculty.
The highlights from the American Law School Faculty Study can be accessed here. The complete version is available for purchase here.
