The LENS - March 2026
As we continue through the semester, our focus this month turns to public service and the vital role it plays in shaping our communities and the legal profession. At ASU Law, we remain deeply committed to preparing lawyers and leaders who are driven not only by excellence but by a dedication to serve their communities. We are especially inspired by our namesake, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, whose remarkable career of public service spanned all three branches of government and set a powerful example for generations of legal leaders.
Stacy Leeds
Willard H. Pedrick Dean and Regents Professor
Arizona State University
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law
Leading with purpose: Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ann Timmer on the power of public service
Honoring the legacy of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
As we celebrate her March 26 birthday, we honor Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's enduring legacy as the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, whose leadership and landmark decisions helped shape American law and inspire generations.
ASU Law now ranks No. 8 in the nation for first-time bar passage differential, outperforming statewide averages by 13.71%, according to the 2026 American Bar Association bar pass reports.
ASU Law achieved a 91.94% first-time bar passage rate, continuing a strong upward trend and ranking No. 40 nationally — ahead of several top law schools on that metric, including Yale Law School, the University of Michigan Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, the University of California Los Angeles School of Law, Vanderbilt Law School and the University of Iowa College of Law.
These results highlight ASU Law's commitment to preparing students for success in the legal profession through expanded bar preparation, academic support and career services. 🎓
March
26
The Corporate and Business Law Journal's 2026 Innovation Forum
March 26 | 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (AZ)
Beus Center for Law and Society
March
27
Cannabis Law Symposium
Friday, March 27 | 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. (AZ)
W. P. Carey Armstrong Great Hall
March
27
Judy Stinson Lecture - Suppressing Constitutional Law: Qualified Immunity and Non-precedential Opinions
Friday, March 27 | 12 - 1:30 p.m. (AZ)
Virtual event
March
30-31
2026 Arkfeld eDiscovery Conference
March 30 - 31 | 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (AZ)
Beus Center for Law and Society
April
1 & 6
Spring Alumni Events
All alumni are invited to engage with ASU Law each semester through opportunities to hear directly from college leadership and participate in meaningful conversations.
April 1 | Virtual Town Hall for Master's Alums:
11 - 11:30 a.m. (AZ)
April 1 | Virtual Town Hall for JD/LLM Alums:
12 - 1 p.m. (AZ)
April 6 | Alumni Reception:
4:30 - 6:30 p.m. (AZ)
Jacy & Dakota's, Downtown Phoenix
April
1
Bruce E. Meyerson Lecture
7 - 8:30 p.m. (AZ)
W. P. Carey Armstrong Great Hall
- The New York Times: Parents of School Shooters Are Being Prosecuted. Should They Be? (Ben McJunkin)
- AZ Family: New details out in death of 2 teens near Arizona's Mt. Ord (Gregg Leslie)
- ASU News: Career support for students and alumni (ASU Law)
- JD Journal: 2026 Law School ROI Rankings Reveal Best Value Programs (ASU Law)
- Law.com: University of Tulsa Picks ASU Law Dean Stacy Leeds as Next President (Stacy Leeds)
- AZ Central: Trump taps Cherokee Nation member to head DHS. What Native leaders say (Stacy Leeds)
- The National Jurist: Top law schools for trial advocacy (ASU Law)
- LegalNews.com: LSC 'Talk Justice' podcast focuses on 'Building the Next Generation of Rural Lawyers' (Kate Rosier)
- Code and Concrete Podcast: Systems that Reward Value | Larry Bridgesmith and Ramona Tudorancea (Larry Bridesmith)
- Cronkite News: As Arizona braces for Medicaid reforms, many patients don't know how to qualify for hospital debt forgiveness (James Hodge)
- Axios: Women's deepfake lawsuit targets AI porn industry (Sean Harrington)
- KJZZ: Proposed ballot measure on medical mandates is a threat to Arizona public health, expert says (James Hodge)
ASU Law Talks is a recurring series of posts written by expert law faculty and staff with deep knowledge in legal education, empowering you to make informed decisions about your legal education journey.
- What does law school teach students about failure – and why is it important?
- What law school best prepares students to pass the bar exam?
- What is eDiscovery and why does it matter in modern legal practice?
- What does it mean to pursue global public service in law school?
- What is a legal desert and why does it matter?
- How can legal education create immediate impact in your current career?
- Parents As Regulators by Caitlin Milat
- Proactive Solutions in Implementing Tribal Digital Sovereignty by Stacy Leeds, Sam Phillips and Mikaela Bledsoe Downes
- Exploring Unhoused Agency by Ben A. McJunkin
- Insurrection Powers and the Public's Health by James G. Hodge, Taylor Brown and Kimberly Hartle
- Exploring Constitutional Limits of Insurrection Powers by James G. Hodge and Summer Ghaith
Stay informed by exploring our scholars' contributions and subscribing to ASU Law's SSRN eJournal for updates on the newest research.
Changing Futures: Fuel public interest work
When you give to the Public Interest Fellowship Fund, you support students and postgraduates pursuing meaningful work in social justice research and reform — ensuring financial barriers don't stand in the way of impact.
