L to R: Danielle M. Conway (AALS President-Elect), dean of Penn State Dickinson Law; Leonard M. Baynes (AALS Executive Committee Member), dean of University of Houston Law Center and Stacy Leeds (AALS Executive Committee Member), dean of Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at the House of Representatives session held at the 2025 Association of American Law Schools Conference.
Jan. 13, 2025 - Leonard M. Baynes, dean of the University of Houston Law Center, has been selected to serve a three-year term on the Executive Committee of the Association of American Law Schools. The announcement was made during the AALS Annual Meeting last week.
Baynes, who holds the Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Chair at UH, conveyed that he is committed to making legal education accessible for all.
“Higher education and law schools, in particular, are facing challenging times in trying to balance First Amendment freedom of speech while maintaining a welcoming environment for all irrespective of their background,” Baynes said. “At times like these, the association’s core values, and mission provide a shining star for us to follow. I am excited to serve as a member of the AALS Executive Committee, along with my peers, to help chart a path forward consistent with our values and mission.”
During the event, Austen L. Parrish, dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Law, was inducted as the 2025 president of AALS and the AALS House of Representatives also approved the nomination of Danielle M. Conway, dean of Penn State Dickinson Law, to serve as the association’s president-elect for 2025.
Founded in 1900, AALS is a learned society and a nonprofit organization with a mission to advance legal education through excellence in teaching and scholarship. The association represents 175 member and 19 fee-paid law schools.
