Chicago Law School Hires Black Women

CHICAGO--The University of Chicago Law School last month announced the appointment of three women and one Black to the faculty, in a major change in hiring practices at the Law School.

The appointments come three months after the University signed an agreement with the Labor Department requiring the School to make efforts to appoint one or more women or Black faculty members.

Law School hiring policies have come under fire from students and the government. In 1977--after no women or Blacks were hired in the space of three years--the Law Women's Caucus filed a complaint with the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW), charging the Law School with discrimination in its hiring practices.

No Discrimination

HEW found no evidence of discrimination but stated that the University "had failed to take appropriate affirmative action in the hiring of women and other minorities to senior faculty positions."

The appointments announced last month brings the number of women with professional titles from one to two, and brings the number of Blacks on the faculty to one.

In 1978, the Labor Department conducted its own investigation into the school's hiring practices, and again found no evidence of discrimination, but stated that the Law School had failed to hire enough women and minorities during the period from 1974 to 1977.

In 1980, the University agreed to make "every good faith effort to appoint one or more women or Black faculty members to the Law School," and to encourage women and minorities to apply for faculty positions.

No Quotas

The agreement with the Labor Department did not specify any quotas or timetables for increasing the number of women and minorities.

Two of the appointees have already begun to teach at the school, and the others will join the faculty in the fall.