Clinical Faculty Hold AALS Leadership Positions

Georgia State Law clinical professors lead both in the classroom and in the profession both through bar associations or the Association of American Law School sections. For 2017, the college has six faculty members holding leadership positions at AALS.
Lisa Radtke Bliss, associate dean for experiential education and clinical professor of law, serves as the chair of the AALS Section on Clinical Legal Education. During her tenure, Bliss has overseen the work of more than 18 committees, all engaged in activities that support the work of clinical legal educators across the country, including fostering scholarship, innovative teaching and the use of technology.
“One of the major achievements of the section this year is the section being named co-recipient of the inaugural AALS Section of the Year Award,” Bliss said. The award recognizes section activities that facilitate outstanding scholarship, teaching and other work.
“I am fortunate to work with clinicians from across the country who are engaged in promoting the profession. Clinical section members and our committees are among the most active in the AALS,” Bliss said, adding the section shares the award with the Section on Women in Legal Education. The award will be presented in January at the AALS Annual Meeting in San Diego.
In addition to Bliss, Kendall Kerew, assistant clinical professor of law and director of the Externship Program, serves as co-chair of the Externships Committee. In this role, she worked to help relaunch the LexternWeb site to help faculty and administrators engaged in teaching and coordinating legal externship programs.
“The new version of LexternWeb seeks to continue Professor Sandy Ogilvy’s work to promote information sharing and collaboration among externship faculty nationwide and internationally,” Kerew said. The site launched Feb. 1 and includes materials for site supervisors as well as a bibliography of research related to externship programs.
Kinda Abdus-Saboor, lecturer in law with the Externship Program, also serves on the Clinical Section Awards Committee.
“I have the privilege of reviewing the accomplishments of clinicians across the country who are doing amazing things,” Abdus-Saboor said. “It is so refreshing to learn about the myriad ways clinics and law professors are tenaciously serving those in need. Serving on the committee has been a truly inspiring experience.”
Tameka Lester, assistant clinical professor of law and associate director of the Philip C. Cook Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, serves as co-chair of the Clinicians of Color Committee. In this role, she has been working to bolster the committee’s mentoring program.
“One of our new projects is a mentoring program within the committee,” Lester said. “Our goal is to pair newer clinicians with seasoned clinicians who can provide guidance and support in the areas of scholarship, increasing visibility in the academy, and navigating the promotion and tenue process. These can be intimidating areas to commandeer for those of us who are new comers to the process, so having additional support from experienced clinicians can be extremely helpful.”
W. Edward “Ted” Afield, associate clinical professor of law and director of the tax clinic, serves as treasurer of the AALS Teaching Methods Section. In this role, he has worked with the other section leaders to create a series of teaching-related conference calls among academics around the country.
“The section just held its third call in which law professors spend a few minutes talking about a cutting-edge teaching topic, which then leads to a group discussion and a write-up of the topic in our section newsletter,” Afield said. “The program has been a hit, and we are planning on expanding it in the future.

Nicole Iannarone, assistant clinical professor of law and director of the Investor Advocacy Clinic, serves as a board member of the Professional Responsibility Section, as well as editor of the newsletter, in addition to serving as vice president/president-elect of the Atlanta Bar Association and chair of the Georgia Bar's Professionism Committee.
“I’m proud to teach at a law school that leads in more than scholarship and teaching. While Georgia State Law does both exceptionally well, our relationship with and involvement in the bar sets us apart,” Iannarone said. “We showcase law in its theory and actual practice, and being an active part of the practicing legal community gives us the ability to do so.”