The Professional Development Committee invites AALS Sections to submit a proposal for a conference or workshop in 2013. To ensure a comprehensive review of these proposals and facilitate the request for any additional information, the deadline for submission is May 27, 2011. Proposals received by May 27th will receive preference in the selection process.

The Association's professional development programming consists of one-day workshops at the Annual Meeting and two-day workshops and three-day conferences at the Mid-Year Meeting. Programs need not fit any particular format, but many past conferences and workshops have fallen into one of the following categories:

1. subject matter programs aimed at faculty who teach particular subjects or types of courses such as the 2009 Mid-Year Meeting Conference on Business Associations and 2010 Mid-Year Meeting Workshop on Civil Procedure;
2. programs for groups with similar interests other than subject matter such as the 2010 Mid-Year Meeting Workshop on "Post Racial" Civil Rights Law, Politics, and Legal Education: New and Old Colorlines in the Age of Obama and 2011 Workshop on Women Rethinking Equality;
3. programs that cut across subject matter lines or integrate traditional subject matter such as the 2008 Annual Meeting Workshop on Local Government at Risk: Immigration, Land Use and National Security and the Battle of Control and the 2006 Mid-Year Meeting Workshop on Integrating Transnational Legal Perspectives;
4. programs that focus upon a type of skill or discipline as in the 2011 Mid-Year Meeting Conference on Curriculum: Understanding Law Across Borders and Cultures and the 2009 Annual Meeting Workshop: Progress? The Academy, Profession, Race and Gender: Empirical Findings, Research Issues, Potential Projects and Funding Opportunities;
5. programs dealing with matters of law school administration or legal education generally such as the 2011 Annual Meeting Workshop for Deans and Law Librarians and the 2012 Annual Meeting Workshop on Academic Support; and
6. programs exploring the ramifications of significant developments in or affecting the law such as the 2008 Annual Meeting Workshop on Courts: Independence and Accountability.

Proposals should be as specific as possible, including a description of the areas or topics that might be covered, in as much detail as possible, and an explanation of why it would be important and timely to undertake such a program in 2013. The Professional Development Committee particularly encourages proposals for programs that are sufficiently broad that they will interest more than the membership of a single AALS section. The AALS strongly encourages proposals that contemplate different or innovative types of programming or develop interdisciplinary themes. A sample of a well-developed proposal is available for review on the AALS Web site at: http://www.aals.org/profdev/.

The Association welcomes suggestions for members of the planning committee and potential speakers, along with a brief explanation as to their particular qualifications. It is helpful to the planning committee to have as much information as possible about potential speakers in advance of its meeting. Since planning committees value diversity of all sorts, we encourage recommendations of women, minorities, those with differing viewpoints, and new teachers as speakers. Specific information regarding the potential speaker's scholarship, writings, speaking ability, and teaching methodology is particularly valuable.

Proposals are solicited from sections and those proposals are extremely valuable as a starting point for the planning committee. Planning the actual program, including the choice of specific topics and speakers, is the responsibility of the planning committee, which is appointed by the AALS President. The planning committees normally include one or more individuals who are in leadership positions in the proposing section, and other teachers in that subject area.

As indicated above, proposals should be submitted to AALS Managing Director, Jane LaBarbera, by May 27, 2011. Please send an electronic copy of your proposal by e-mail to profdev@aals.org Jane LaBarbera would be pleased to discuss proposal ideas with you and to answer any questions you have about the Association's professional development programs. Please send your questions by e-mail to jlabarbera@aals.org