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Hastie Fellowship 50th Anniversary Reception

Jan. 8, 2025 | AALS annual meeting in San Francisco

By University of Wisconsin Law School

January 17^th, 2025

What a celebration!

UW Law was proud to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the William H. Hastie Fellowship this month during a reception at the 2025 Association of American Law Schools (AALS) annual meeting on Jan. 8 in San Francisco.

For half a century, the Hastie Fellowship has fostered opportunities within the legal profession. The event honored the fellows' achievements and highlighted the importance of mentorship, community and scholarship embedded in the two-year program.

Hastie Fellows (from left) Laura Cisneros 2006-08, Stacy Leeds 1998-2000, Mario Barnes 2002-04, Torey Dolan 2023-25 and Arti Walker-Pedakottla 2024-26 gather in front of the timeline.

Dean Dan Tokaji emphasizes how important the fellowship has been as part of UW Law's contribution to the legal academy.

A visual reminder and gift for all of our past fellows.

Mario Barnes '04 hugs Lisa Washington '22 and her baby upon seeing them at the reception.

James M. Douglas (right), former dean and distinguished professor of law at Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School Of Law, talks with Dean Dan Tokaji.

Guests arrive at the Hastie anniversary reception.

Among those attending was Michael States (gray suit), UW Law Associate Dean for Student Success & Inclusive Excellence.

Hastie Fellows Stacy Leeds and Torey Dolan share a connection: Leeds is dean of Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, where Dolan earned her J.D. before coming to Wisconsin.

Guests make time for the reception during the AALS annual meeting in San Francisco.

Most popular feature ...

One of the biggest conversation starters was a large timeline showing all the past fellows and their years at UW Law.

All of the Hastie fellows can be found at https://www.law.wisc.edu/hastie/fellows/.

Strong bonds, fond memories

Those who spent such important formative time in the Hastie Fellowship Program have forged special connections that have only grown over time as they've gone on to make their mark in their careers.

Stacy Leeds '00, the first Native American dean of a U.S. law school who is now serving in that role at Arizona State University, says, "One of the many program differentiators over the years has been the deep personal connections between the fellows. We bring each other along and make a point to celebrate successes and milestones.”

She also encouraged Torey Dolan to apply; Dolan just transitioned from the fellowship she started in 2023 to becoming assistant professor this month at UW Law.

Hastie Fellows Arti Walker-Pedakottla and Laura Cisneros sit down to connect.

(From left) Stacy Leeds, Laura Cisneros, Mario Barnes, Torey Dolan and Arti Walker-Pedakottla -- all Hastie Fellows!

Hastie Fellow Lisa Washington chats at the reception. She is now an assistant professor at UW Law.

Christopher Lau, associate professor and co-director of the Wisconsin Innocence Project, talks with guests at the reception.

The reception featured a variety of hors d'oeuvres.

Dean Dan Tokaji welcomes guests to the reception.

Emeritus Professor Peter Carstensen (center) talks with guests at the reception.

A few moments for remarks

The formal portion of the reception included time at the mic from former Fellows and a special appearance from a former law school dean in attendance.

Many cited UW Law Professor James E. Jones Jr. (1924-2014), a leading expert in labor law and the force behind this pioneering program.

One takeaway from Emeritus Professor Peter Carstensen: "Two important features that Professor Jim Jones included were, first, that the fellowship would be for two years so that the Fellow could develop credible scholarly credentials before entering the job market. Because a new fellow started each year, this also created an opportunity for the new fellow to learn from the senior fellow’s experience. Second, Jim insisted that his white male colleagues should take the formal leadership of the Hastie Committee. In the beginning, this provided additional credibility to the program and its graduates, but equally important, it built a stronger and broader faculty commitment to the program."

James M. Douglas, former dean and distinguished professor of law at Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School Of Law, shared his recognition of the fellowship's value over the past half-century.

Mario Barnes, professor of law and co-director of the UC Irvine Law Center on Law, Equality and Race, says the fellowship has yielded rewards beyond anything he could have imagined.

Stacy Leeds, the Willard H. Pedrick Dean and Regents Professor of Law at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University, called the reception a great way to reconnect with past Hasties and meet the current fellow.

Emeritus Professor Peter Carstensen said the Hastie Fellowship and its great success "are truly a tribute to Professor Jim Jones' strategic vision and perseverance."

And the award goes to ...

Hastie Fellows in attendance were presented crystal statues to commemorate the day and their service in the program. Others will receive theirs via delivery with a note from Dean Dan Tokaji.

Dean Dan Tokaji and current Fellow Arti Walker-Pedakottla.

Dean Dan Tokaji and 2006-08 Hastie Fellow Laura Cisneros, professor at Golden Gate University School of Law.

Dean Dan Tokaji and Mario Barnes, Hastie Fellow 2002-04 and Chancellor's Professor of Law, UC Irvine. Barnes recently was elected the next president of the Law and Society Association (LSA).

Dean Dan Tokaji with fellow Dean Stacy Leeds, 1998-2000 Hastie Fellow and Willard H. Pedrick Dean and Regents Professor of Law at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University.

Dean Dan Tokaji and Hastie Fellow Torey Dolan, who was hired from her fellowship to become an assistant professor at UW Law this month.

Here's to the future

Dean DanTokaji and UW Law are committed to celebrating and supporting the Hastie Fellowship in the years to come. He will be reaching out to all of our past Fellows to invite and ignite their involvement in recruiting, selection and other aspects of the program, but folks are also welcome to email the dean.

If you have questions about the event or the photos used here, reach out to news@law.wisc.edu.

Guests reconnect and mingle at the reception.

Footnotes

Photos by Stephen Hew.

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FootNotes

Photos by Stephen Hew.

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