Call for Submissions: Confronting Systemic Racism and Sexism in Legal Academia

Legal academia can be stimulating and inspiring. It can also be stifling, even punishing, especially for those who don’t fit the mould.

To illustrate, in a recent tutorial, my students (at UCL) and I discussed the case of Alexandra Wilson, author of ‘In Black and White: A Young Barrister’s Story of Race and Class in a Broken Justice System.’ Wilson details the sense of alienation she felt during her studies at Oxford, being the only Black student in her college (she graduated just a few years ago!). While the demographics at UCL are more representative, it was telling how many of our students could relate to her experience.

To advance the struggle against undeserved oppressions and unearned privileges, through Opinio Juris, I am coordinating a symposium on racism and sexism in legal academia. We welcome submissions from students and scholars, from practitioners and pundits. Please read and share the call for submissions (below), and consider participating in the symposium.

While we are unlikely to eliminate either ill from the establishment, we are keen to give them and their proponents a rough time. We invite you to join us in the struggle.

Photo by Brittani Burns on Unsplash.