University of Texas School of Law - Peregrinus Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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AROUND TOWNES 1990 PEREGRIN US ALL STAR MOCK TRIAL All-Star Mode Trial — 17

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‘jai£l3i AROUND TOWNES 1990 PEREGRINUS 16 — All-Sui Mode Trial

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BOYCOTT CLASSES' Slightly less than 15 percent of students decided to skip class on April 6 to protest what they thought was a less than diverse Law School faculty. Organizers of the boycott downplayed the small turnout, explaining most law students wore lapel stickers demonstrating their agreement with the cause. The protest was part of a nationwide call in 50 other law schools for more diversity in race and gender among faculty. Of UT's 59 tenured or tenure track faculty, six are women, two are black and one is Asian-Amcrican. Ed Mayfield, third-year student anti vice chairman of the Coalition for a Diversified Law School said, we looked at the actions of the faculty appointment committee and believe that they fell short of everyone's expectations. Dean Mark Yudof agreed the problem of faculty diversity was national in scope but efforts were being made to remedy the situation. Yudof said progress was slow because most professors arc tenured and there is a low turnover rate. He said the law school is committed to increasing diversity, and added that since 1979, nine of 30 appointments for tenure positions have been to women and minorities. While 200 students did miss class on the day, it was business as usual for hundreds more. The 1989 boycott had mote than twice the number of participants, with 500. Some students didn't think the boycott was necessary. Kenneth Moore, first-year student, felt the most important thing students could do was to attend class. Then we can effectuate change from a position where we can truly do something, as opposed to just talk. he said. Some students complained the boycott was really just an excuse for students to skip class. But Mayfield said a student's decision to skip class that day was very important. I think it's a farce to say it has no effect. Alumni hear about it, the public in general hears about it, legislators hear about it and they call Dean Yudof. And Yudof has to explain what's going on, he said. Boycotters' other cotKcm was with the absence of a sexual-orientation discrimination policy with law firms that recruit through the school's placement office. The placement office is in violation of policies set forth by the American Association cf Law Schools,” Mayfield said. The office does have a non-discriminatory policy that protects minorities but nothing to protect homosexuals.” Yak, Stanford and UCLA enacted such policies in 1987. Dean Yudof said the changes prescribed by the American Association of Lavr Schools were referred to University President William Cunningham. Individual schools or colleges aren't permitted to make changes in the university-wide non-discriminatory rules,” Yudof said, President Cunningham has referred the mattes to the general counsel for the University of Texts System. AROUND TOWNES 1990 PEREGRINUS 18 — Boycott Quae!