Suzette Malveaux, Provost Professor of Civil Rights Law and Director of the Byron R. White Center for the Study of American Constitutional Law, joined African-American women law professors from across the country for the 13th Annual Lutie A. Lytle Black Women Law Faculty Workshop and Writing Retreat, held June 19-26, 2019 at Penn State University Law. The Lytle Workshop is an annual conference for current and aspiring Black women law faculty, focused on legal scholarship and offering opportunities for mentoring, career support, and fellowship. Since its inception in 2007, the Workshops’ attendees have published more than 34 books, 74 book chapters, and 652 articles.
The theme of this year’s conference, “Claiming the Power of our Sisterhood,” emphasized the importance of mentorship and building a pipeline of Black women law professors. To that avail, Professor Malveaux provided guidance on the opening panel: “Working Your Plan and Planning Your Work” for professors navigating the job market. Malveaux also commented on the scholarship of junior colleagues and presented her own piece, “Is It Time for a New Civil Rights Act?” for feedback.
The annual workshop was named after Lutie A. Lytle, who in 1898, as the daughter of enslaved parents, became the first woman law professor in the United States. The first conference began as a small gathering of Black women faculty in a member’s home. Thirteen years later, the workshop has grown to over 100 participants, offering support and community to a growing group of women faculty carrying the legacy of excellence in legal scholarship that began with Professor Lutie A. Lytle.