Abstract
While students from diverse backgrounds often feel underrepresented within law schools, there is limited dialogue regarding the experiences of Indigenous, Black, Asian and other diverse law professors in this context. This matter should not be silenced or overlooked. A diverse faculty allows students to see their identities reflected. Diverse perspectives enrich legal education by providing varied teaching approaches, research topics, and perspectives. It also provides a foundation for aspiring legal scholars to critically engage with principles, intersectionality, and broader implications of the law’s interaction with society. In light of this assessment, this paper tracks faculty diversity of full-time law professors through comprehensive and disaggregated information while simultaneously advocating for implementing accurate data collection methods. Such considerations are separate in two-fold. First, this paper addresses the systemic barriers that impede the hiring and retention of diverse faculty, particularly Black and Indigenous professors. Second, drawing on student and faculty perspectives alongside recommendations from equity committees, this paper calls for a more inclusive and accountable approach to hiring practices. This includes critiques of overused, broad terms like “racialized,” emphasizing the need for a more nuanced understanding of identity. Law schools should also prioritize diversity by enhancing the recruitment of Indigenous and Black law professors to better reflect a more inclusive and relatable academic environment.