Leah Song Richardson (born 1967/1968) is an American lawyer, legal scholar, and higher education administrator who is currently president of Colorado College. She was previously dean and a chancellor's professor of law of the University of California, Irvine School of Law.[1]
Song Richardson | |
|---|---|
| President of Colorado College | |
| Assumed office July 1, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Mike Edmonds (acting) Robert Moore (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1966 or 1967 (age 56–57) |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) Yale University (JD) |
| Awards | Derrick Bell Award from the Association of American Law Schools (2012) |
In 2022, it was suggested by The Washington Post that Richardson was a possible Joe Biden Supreme Court candidate to succeed retiring Justice Stephen Breyer.[2]
On February 7, 2024, Richardson announced that she would leave her role as President of Colorado effective June 30, 2024.[3]
Education edit
Richardson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School.[1]
Career edit
Prior to academia, Richardson worked as a public defender and was a partner at the law firm of Schroeter Goldmark & Bender, where she practiced criminal defense.[4] She was also an assistant counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.[1]
Richardson assumed the role of UC Irvine School of Law's interim dean on July 1, 2017, replacing the school's founding dean, Erwin Chemerinsky. In January 2018, she was appointed the school's second dean.[5] At the time of her appointment, she was the only woman of color to lead a top-30 law school.[6] On December 9, 2020, Colorado College announced that Richardson had accepted the post of president of the college; she began her position on July 1, 2021.[7] She is the first woman of color to serve as the school's president.[1]
On February 7, 2024, it was announced that Richardson would resign her position as President of Colorado College effective June 30, 2024, and return to her role as professor of law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law.[8]
Writing and scholarship edit
Richardson's research focuses on implicit bias, criminal procedure, criminal law, and law and social science. She has examined implicit bias and prejudice in artificial intelligence technology.[9] She co-edited the book "The Constitution and the Future of Criminal Justice in America," with John T. Parry of Lewis and Clark College, Portland. The book was published in 2014 by Cambridge University Press.[10]
She is working on a forthcoming book examining the history of race in the United States, and implications for law and policy.[1]
Awards edit
Richardson received the Derrick Bell Award from the Association of American Law Schools in 2012.[11] The award recognizes exceptional contributions to legal education through mentoring, teaching and scholarship.
In 2018, she was named among "OC People of 2018" by OC Weekly.[12]
Affiliations edit
Richardson is a member of the American Law Institute[13] and serves on the executive committee of the Association of American Law Schools.[14]
Personal life edit
Richardson is African American and Asian American.[2]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e Robinson, Helen (2020-12-10). "Richardson is first woman of color appointed president of Colorado College". Colorado Springs Business Journal. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
- ^ a b "The 11 likeliest people to get Biden's Supreme Court nomination". The Washington post. January 31, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
- ^ "Message from the President and Board of Trustees about College Leadership". www.coloradocollege.edu. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
- ^ https://sites.coloradocollege.edu/bulletin/2022/09/colorado-college-is-lucky-to-have-song-richardson-at-the-helm/
- ^ Takahama, Valerie (2017-12-21). "UCI School of Law Names L. Song Richardson As Dean Effective In 2018". Orange Coast Magazine. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ Vega, Priscella (27 December 2017). "New UC Irvine dean will be only woman of color to lead a top law school, university says". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Presidential Announcement • Presidential Announcement Colorado College". www.coloradocollege.edu. Retrieved 2020-12-10.
- ^ "Message from the President and Board of Trustees about College Leadership". www.coloradocollege.edu. Retrieved 2024-02-07.
- ^ Sahota, Neil. "Will A.I. Put Lawyers Out Of Business?". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ Parry, John T; Richardson, L. Song, eds. (August 2013). The Constitution and the Future of Criminal Justice in America edited by John T. Parry. Cambridge Core. doi:10.1017/CBO9781139108034. ISBN 9781107020931. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "Section Award Recipients". Association of American Law Schools. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ Coker, Matt (2018-05-23). "L. Song Richardson Continues to Defy Expectations [OC People 2018]". OC Weekly. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ Institute, The American Law. "Members". American Law Institute. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
- ^ "AALS Announces 2019 Leadership". Association of American Law Schools. Retrieved 2019-05-17.