ASU Law School Joins Group To Examine Legal Issues In Policing

TEMPE, AZ — Dozens of law schools in the U.S. are joining together to examine and address legal issues in policing and public safety, including Arizona State University's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law.

ASU will be a member of the American Bar Associations new Legal Education Police Practices Consortium, along with 52 other law schools across the country. The University of Arizona also counts itself a member.

The consortium will examine issues including conduct, oversight and the evolving nature of police work in an effort to implement better police practices. Police oversight has taken over in 2020, after a summer of protests against police brutality following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

“The ABA has the ability to bring together diverse groups to address these problems and the duty to act to help bring racial equality to our criminal justice system,” American Bar Association President Patricia Lee Refo said in a statement announcing the participating schools. “The consortium will engage law students and legal experts from around the country in studying and forming solutions to help improve policing practices in our communities.”

Each of the 52 law schools will create opportunities for at least one of its students to engage in consortium activities to create model practices. Those opportunities could include developing new policy for the association to consider, engaging with local police departments, conducting research and developing curriculum related to the research compiled by the consortium.

Dean of ASU Law, Douglas Sylvester, said in a statement that the school decided to participate in order to give its students more opportunities.

“The Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law is delighted to participate in this important endeavor," Sylvester said. "Not only does it advance important societal goals, consistent with ASU’s charter and design imperatives, but it also creates great opportunities for our students.”