News Archive

Do you enjoy the research and writing aspects of being a lawyer? Does working with young lawyers and law students remind you of what you loved about law school? In an effort to increase diversity and inclusion among law school faculty, the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law has created the Future Faculty Fellowship program.

“Legal academia and our profession, as well as our society writ large, are grappling with the consequences of lack of representation within our ranks,” said IU McKinney Dean Karen E. Bravo. “This new initiative is one part of our commitment to addressing those challenges and disparities pursuant to our recently adopted DEI strategic plan.”

IU McKinney’s fellowship is designed to support a promising candidate with a law degree who has demonstrated a strong interest in legal scholarship and who is preparing for a career in the legal academy. The program encourages the application of prospective law teachers whose participation will increase diversity and inclusion among law school faculty.

Professors Stephanie Hoffer and Lahny Silva began their academic careers with teaching fellowships. Professor Hoffer took part in a visiting assistant professorship at Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Professor Silva was a William H. Hastie Fellow at the University of Wisconsin Law School.

“The Visiting Assistant Fellowship Program is so important to diversifying the profession,” said Professor Silva. “Without the Hastie Program, I am 100 percent sure that I would not be a law professor today. These types of efforts prepare interested, non-traditional individuals for a career in the academy by offering hands-on support, faculty mentoring, scholarship guidance, and practical opportunities in teaching. It is my hope that McKinney can do the same for someone else.”

“I was an academic outsider at the start of my career,” Professor Hoffer said, noting she was the first person from the maternal side of her family to graduate from college. “Northwestern’s visiting assistant professorship gave me a chance to figure things out, and I left with a lifelong friends and mentors. That kind of access is critical for people who traditionally are underrepresented in the academy. I am excited that McKinney will be able to offer something similar to other new scholars.”

The fellowship will extend over two years and be focused upon scholarly research, presentation, and submission; observation of teaching; and participation in the life of the law school. The fellowship will conclude with a semester-long teaching assignment. Fellows will be guided and mentored by IU McKinney faculty and the fellowship committee.

To learn more, visit IU McKinney’s website.