News Archive

Randall T. Shepard, visiting professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and former Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, talked about “The Problem of Law School Discounting: How Do We Sustain Equal Opportunity in the Legal Profession?” on February 11. His subject was the topic of this year’s James P. White Lecture on Legal Education, an annual event at Inlow Hall.

In the photo from left are Professor James P. White, Professor Randall T. Shepard, and Dean Andrew R. Klein.

Professor Shepard chaired the American Bar Association’s Task Force on the Future of Legal Education, and is a past chair of the group’s Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, which oversees accreditation of the nation’s 200 law schools. During his tenure as chief justice, he authored over 900 majority opinions for his court and 65 law review articles. Earlier in his career, he practiced law, served as a trial judge, was executive assistant to the mayor of Evansville, and served as special assistant to the U.S. Under Secretary of Transportation in Washington, D.C.

Professor White, for whom the lecture is named, retired in 2000 after 26 years as Consultant on Legal Education to the ABA; he continues to serve as Consultant Emeritus. The office is responsible for law school accreditation, collection of statistics, among other duties. He continues to represent the ABA in a number of international legal education activities. The ABA and friends established this annual endowed lecture on legal education at IU McKinney in his honor.