More on the Deans' Proposal on Tenure

Betsy earlier quoted from the American Law Deans Association's proposal to the US Department of Education to require the ABA to eliminate the requirement of tenure from the ABA Standards for Approval of Law Schools. That proposal has been making the rounds of the blogs and listservs. Here is an update from Marina Angel at Feminist Law Professors:

American Law Deans Association (ALDA) Attacks Tenure and Long Term Contracts; ABA Standards §§ 205(c), 405, and 603(d)

This statement [Download file] to the U.S. Department of Education was sent by the Board of Directors of ALDA, purporting to speak on behalf of the organization. So far I’ve determined:

1. The statement was probably sent in early March;

2. The Board took no vote of their membership;

3. The ABA was not copied and did not know until I called this morning;

4. The AALS was not copied and did not know until last night;

5. It is not clear who is on the ALDA Board or who the members are.

We need to organize quickly to counter this effort with counterstatements and with organizing to get our most eloquent spokespersons to the June Department of Education hearing.

The deans who signed need to be called to task by their faculties. All of the deans who did not sign need to be energized to voice opposition.

Please move ASAP as individuals and organizations.

Who is the ALDA, anyway? They do not appear to have a website; the Association of American Law Schools website lists the American Law Deans Association on its "Organizations Related to Legal Education" page, and gives the following address:

American Law Deans Association
The University of Chicago Law School
1111 East 60th Street
Chicago, IL 60637
Telephone: (773) 702-9495; Fax: (773) 834-3607