Meet The Four Women Leading the Academic Journals at Alabama Law This academic year marks the first time that all four journals at The University of Alabama School of Law— Alabama Law Review, Journal of the Legal Profession, Law & Psychology Review, and the Alabama Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Law Review—are being led by Editors in Chief who are women. Though many women have led at these journals in past years, the alignment of these four journal leaders serving at the same time demonstrates growth and progress toward greater gender equality within legal education. Luelle Lamar Allen became the first woman to graduate from The University of Alabama School of Law in 1907¹. However, the representation of women in legal education didn’t truly begin to grow until after the implementation of Title IX in 1972². Title IX “requires that no person be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination on the basis of sex under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” Following the national trend, the percentage of female students at Alabama Law has steadily increased. In fact, since 2019, three of the past five incoming 1L classes have consisted of more women than men, while the other two incoming classes weren’t far behind.
1
“50 | 150 Anniversaries: Women Who Led the Way at Alabama Law,” The
University of Alabama School of Law, https://www.law.ua.edu/blog/news/ women-who-lead-the-way-at-alabama-law/ 2
“The 14th Amendment and the Evolution of Title IX,” United States Courts,
https://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/14th-amendment-and-evolution-title-ix#:~:text=Congress%20enacted%20Title%20IX%20of,It%20authorizes%20any%20federal%20agency
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Alabama Law Review (ALR) Founded in 1984, the Alabama Law Review is a nationally recognized journal of legal scholarship and the flagship legal journal in the state of Alabama. The Alabama Law Review is built on a rich tradition of scholarship aimed at exploring issues of national as well as local significance to scholars, legislators, jurists, and practitioners.
Lauren Chambliss (3L), Editor in Chief
Hometown: Prattville, AL Undergraduate Institution: The University of Alabama Undergraduate Degree: B.S. Environmental Engineering Interesting fact: Chambliss was named a National Merit Scholar—a program that honors the top 0.48% of high school students among 1.5 million applicants across the nation. Why did you choose Alabama Law? I've always known that I wanted to live and work in the State of Alabama. I considered going out of state for law school, but I saw the way that Alabama Law engages with its alumni and the legal profession in the State, and I knew that attending school for three years in Tuscaloosa would provide me with incredible connections and professional opportunities. What is your vision for this year’s publication? My vision is to continue our tradition of delivering thought-provoking legal scholarship and to provide a platform for both established legal scholars and emerging voices across a range of timely topics. ABOVE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Maya Stevenson (ACRCL, EIC), Hope Hudgins (LPR, EIC), Ashley Terry (JOLP, EIC), Lauren Chambliss (ALR, EIC). *EIC= Editor in Chief
