Four GW Law professors presented at the Association of American Law Schools' 2019 Workshop for New Law School Teachers. Over 70 new law school faculty attended the workshop in Washington, DC, where Professors Naomi R. Cahn, Lisa M. Fairfax, Roger A. Fairfax, Jr., and Cynthia Lee presented on topics ranging from innovative student engagement tactics to work-life balance.
The annual AALS workshop supports faculty in their transition into full-time teaching, as they learn to balance and embrace the competing demands of teaching, scholarship, and institutional service required in an academic career.
“The workshop is a really worthwhile program for new law teachers,” Edward F. Howrey Professor Law Cynthia Lee said. “Not only do professors get to meet other peers entering the profession at the same time, but they also interact with more senior professors in the same field to get tips and guidance for their career. It’s a tremendous networking opportunity.”
During the workshop, Professor Lee led a breakout session that looked “Inside the Classroom." She discussed how one can be an effective teacher by developing one’s own teaching style, giving students more assessment during the semester, and making classes more interactive.
“I told the new professors that to become a great teacher one can sit in on classes to observe professors who are known for their great teaching and seek advice from one’s colleagues about how they deal with various teaching challenges, but ultimately, one must be authentic and figure out one’s own teaching style,” Professor Lee said. “I shared with them my own teaching journey and how I use guided practice questions (practice quizzes) and in-class group work to help students engage with the material so they get the most out of their time in my classroom.”
The conference was centered around three themes: teaching, scholarship, and service. Professor Lee said she particularly enjoyed the emphasis on faculty service in law school communities.
Harold H. Greene Professor of Law Naomi R. Cahn discussed the importance of prioritizing work and life balance when working in a fulfilling but demanding career field during her session, “Work and Life Satisfaction.”
“Our goal was to convey to the new law professors the importance of work-life balance. The session came after a day and a half of talks on teaching and scholarship, and it was designed to have the faculty stop and acknowledge these obligations and encourage them to make time for their personal lives,” she said.
The workshop provided a space for new professors to explore different perspectives and begin to develop their own teaching persona.
“It's exciting to see junior professors coming into the teaching profession,” Professor Cahn said. “It’s also energizing to see them taking in all of the professional knowledge presented at the workshop, where they’re learning everything from how to develop a syllabus to how to call on students, developing ideas for scholarship, and what kind of classroom they want to have.”
During a plenary session on “The Demands and Delights of Institutional Citizenship: Exploring a Range of Service Opportunities,” Patricia Roberts Harris Research Professor Roger A. Fairfax, Jr. shared about the many different relationships law faculty can and should build within their institution. Professor Okianer of Howard University School of Law and Professor Paul Ohm of Georgetown University Law Center also contributed to the panel with Professor Naomi Jewel Mezey of Georgetown University Law Center moderating.
Alexander Hamilton Professor of Business Law Lisa M. Fairfax led two breakout sessions on “Building a Scholarly Community/Network.” She imparted on the new faculty the importance of forming a community of readers and like-minded scholars inside and outside of one’s institution.
For the AALS 2020 workshop, Professor Cahn will serve as Chair of the planning committee. She said she’s excited to work with her colleagues at GW Law and other legal institutions to build next year's workshop programming.
“We have incredibly talented professors who have developed a vast body of knowledge about not only teaching and scholarship but work-life balance and all that it takes to be a successful professor,” Professor Cahn said. “I’m still learning from my colleagues, and I think it’s wonderful that others can learn from them as well. I’m excited to work with the AALS planning committee on the 2020 workshop programming.”
Learn more about the Association of American Law Schools by visiting AALS.org and see highlights of the 2019 conference.