After a rigorous nomination and vetting process, The American Law Institute has chosen Stetson Law Dean Benjamin Barros to join its latest incoming class of members.
He is among 47 legal scholars and practitioners chosen to join the elite roster of legal professionals in 2024 (see full list) – and will now be one of numerous current and past Stetson Law faculty members elected to the ALI. The century-old nonprofit invites the nation’s top lawyers, judges, and legal scholars to use their sharp expertise to help shape documents intended to inform the creation and interpretation of laws. Thus, becoming a member of the ALI is both a prestigious affair and a challenging endeavor.
“I am honored to be elected as a member of The American Law Institute,” Barros said. “The ALI is one of our country’s most important legal institutions, and I look forward to taking part in the ALI’s continuing efforts to improve our legal system.”
More than a century of supporting American jurisprudence
Last year, the ALI celebrated the 100th anniversary of its 1923 founding. From its start, the nonprofit has promoted clarification and simplification of laws that are overly complex or ambiguous in their interpretation, which the institute says can “cause useless litigation, often make it difficult to advise persons of their rights, and create delay and expense after litigation begins.”
ALI leadership selects its projects from proposals submitted by members and others, then identifies the appropriate participants to work on them. Projects can often take years, and will result in either Model Code, Principles, or Restatements.
These documents are scholarly publications that aim to aid and inform legislatures, judges, administrative agencies, and others tasked with creating, revising, or interpreting policy. (See frequently asked questions about the ALI.)
A legacy of scholarly contributions to ALI
Barros and seven other current and emeritus faculty who currently represent Stetson Law within the ALI are nationally recognized legal scholars who are passionate about helping the American legal system serve all who live under it.
These members include Professors Kristen Adams, Rebecca Morgan, Theresa Pulley-Radwan, and Louis Virelli III, as well as Professors Emeriti Robert Bickel, Luz Nagle, and Candace Zierdt. Professor Ellen Podgor was named a Life Member of the ALI in 2022. Dean Emerita Elizabeth Moody, who passed away in May of 2023, was also a Life Member.
Original source can be found here.