FACULTY NEWS
Retiring Pillars of AUWCL
Celebrating the Legacies of Davis, Hunter, Méndez and Orentlicher BY BRICE HELMS
As American University Washington College of Law celebrates its long tradition of excellence in legal education and social justice, the retirement of four of its most respected faculty members marks both an ending and a new beginning. Professors Angela J. Davis, David Hunter, Juan Méndez and Diane Orentlicher have each profoundly shaped the intellectual life, mission, and values of AUWCL. As they step into retirement, the law school reflects on their extraordinary contributions to scholarship, teaching and advocacy, and the indelible marks they leave on generations of students.
mentored countless students, helping them translate their classroom learning into real- world impact. What set Davis apart
Angela J. Davis: Leading the Fight for Criminal Justice Reform Professor Angela J. Davis joined AUWCL in 1996, bringing with her years of experience as a public defender and a fierce commitment to transforming the criminal legal system. Over the next three decades, she became one of the most influential voices in the U.S. criminal justice system, authoring groundbreaking works on prosecutorial power, systemic racism, and mass incarceration. From the start, Davis’s
teaching focused on empowering students to become agents of change. “I wanted my students to leave law school with the skills and the courage to confront injustice wherever they found it,” she said. Her courses on criminal law, criminal procedure, and criminal justice ethics became foundational for students pursuing careers in criminal law. Davis also supervised, advised and
was her close mentorship of students long after graduation. Many of her former students now work as progressive prosecutors, public defenders, nonprofit leaders, and advocates. “It’s been a joy to watch them grow into roles where they are truly transforming the system from within,” she said.
Davis is the author of
“Arbitrary Justice: The Power of the American Prosecutor,” a critically acclaimed book that helped spark national dialogue about unchecked prosecutorial discretion. She is frequently cited in national media and has participated in conferences and training workshops for prosecutors, defenders and judges. “I’ve always believed that we can’t fix what we don’t understand,” Davis said. “That’s why teaching has been so important to me, it’s where the understanding begins.” In retirement, Davis plans
to continue writing, mentoring and advocating. She will also hold the title of Professor Emerita, maintaining her involvement in the AUWCL
42 THE ADVOCATE SUMMER/FALL 2025
David Hunter: Championing International Environmental Law David Hunter’s career at AUWCL began in 1991 as an adjunct professor while he was an attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL). He joined the tenure-line faculty in 2005 and received tenure around 2013. Reflecting on his teaching
career, Hunter recalls several meaningful and memorable moments. He taught or co- taught five courses a year as part of a joint program between the law school and CIEL. “Through that joint program, AUWCL became the first U.S. law school to offer a specialization in international environmental law for LLM students,” Hunter noted. “We announced the specialization at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.” In 1997, Hunter and
two colleagues published “International Environmental Law & Policy,” which he describes as “essentially the first comprehensive
community. “We need lawyers today more than ever,” she said. “Lawyers who listen, who lead, and who fight for what’s right. If I’ve helped shape even a few of those lawyers, I’ll consider that my greatest achievement.”
textbook on the subject.” He emphasized the book’s focus on “the amazing facts of international environmental law” and its significant impact on the teaching market and its use by practitioners. “The combination of the specialization and the textbook, as well as AUWCL’s excellence in associated subjects (like human rights, trade law) really gave the school a leading reputation in the field,” he stated. Hunter has observed
significant changes in legal education, particularly the challenge posed by the prevalence of computers and readily available information. “The advent of computers everywhere and the amazing amount of information they have at their fingertips during class is particularly challenging, particularly for a contemporary class like international environmental law,” he said. To address this, he started every class with “what was in the news” to maintain student engagement. His advice to new law
students is to minimize computer use in class: “Don’t take your computer to class … spend more time in class thinking and less transcribing … even if you are gifted (as many are) with multitasking, the interactions in class are not just about learning the doctrine but about using the doctrine.” He also encourages students to “have fun because law school is a thrilling, exciting way to engage with today’s most pressing issues.”
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