On October 14, The American Law Institute announced new members to its organization from all over the nation.
Lauren Sudeall, professor of law and director of the Center for Access to Justice at Georgia State University College of Law is one of 32 individuals elected to the group.
“I am honored to be included in such an impressive group of lawyers, judges, and scholars. The ALI plays an important role in shaping what the law can and should be – and I am looking forward to contributing to such important work,” said Sudeall, who hopes to bring a unique perspective to the ALI’s work rooted in her own research about how the law can better incorporate and respond to the lives, experiences, and abilities of everyday people.
According to a press release from the ALI the new members “… will bring their expertise to ALI’s work of clarifying the law through Restatements, Principles and Model Codes.”
The members represent a diverse cohort from a wide range of law firms, organizations, law schools, and courts, including Yale Law School, the American Constitution Society, Harvard Law School, and courts of appeal, just to name a few.
The ALI President David F. Levi said: “the work the institute produces to assist the judiciary, to aid legislative reform, and to assist the legal profession and the public - depends on the diverse knowledge and viewpoints of ALI members, as well as their dedication, expertise, and wisdom…”
Over the years, several Georgia State Law faculty members have been elected as members of the American Law Institute, including the late Marjorie Fine Knowles, who served as the first woman dean of the College of Law, and Charity Scott, a retiree and founding director of the Center for Law, Health & Society.
Anne Tucker, professor of law and director of the Georgia State Law Legal Analytics & Innovation Initiative was elected to the ALI in fall of 2019. Tucker said being a member of this professional organization is more than an honorific or a title.
“Being a member of the ALI means that you contribute to ongoing projects in writing or updating Restatements and Principles of Law. These formative works are the backbone of law school classes and legal decisions. The legal scholars who contribute to these works influence the direction and understanding of the law. To participate in that work is a peak experience, not only of being an ALI member, but in my career.”
Tucker went on to say:
“Lauren is a star in her own right. Seeing her important work here at Georgia State recognized by this important institution gives me great pride in being a member of ALI and at the College of Law.”
The ALI is an independent organization that was founded in 1923. It produces scholarly work to clarify, modernize and otherwise improve the law. The institute was developed after a study was conducted by judges, lawyers, and teachers called “The Committee on the Establishment of a Permanent Organization for the Improvement of the Law.”
Written by: Jaya Franklin