Paul Campos, a long-time professor at the University of Colorado Law School, has recently filed a lawsuit against his own institution, alleging discrimination based on his ethnicity. Campos, who is of Latino descent, gained recognition for his critical writings on legal education in publications such as The Atlantic following the Great Recession. He notably maintained an anonymous blog called “Inside the Law School Scam” from 2011 to 2015, where he voiced his concerns about the state of legal education and the workload of law professors.
In a post on his personal blog, Campos revealed that he had received a significantly low annual evaluation grade, ranking him in the bottom 2% of the faculty historically. He emphasized his exceptional performance in both publishing scholarly works and fulfilling his service obligations.
Brian Leiter, a professor at the University of Chicago Law School, who had previously criticized Campos during the time of his blog’s publication, recently commented on his scholarship. Leiter pointed out that Campos’s recent publications veered away from legal scholarship, focusing instead on topics such as obesity and the experience of being a sports fan. Leiter cited Google Scholar data, revealing that a substantial portion of Campos’s citations during this period derived from his 2004 book on obesity and a co-authored article from 2006 in an epidemiology journal centered around obesity. Leiter further mentioned that many other citations were attributed to Campos’s controversial blog and an op-ed in The New York Times that was widely criticized for its lack of competence in discussing the cost of higher education. Leiter contended that such scholarship might have negatively influenced the faculty committee’s evaluation of Campos’s scholarly accomplishments.
Leiter also criticized the strength of Campos’s legal arguments, asserting that few law professors hold a favorable impression of him. Leiter characterized Campos as opportunistic, seeking the limelight and media attention for himself.
Campos joined the University of Colorado in 1990 and, according to his lawsuit, he has not been granted an endowed professorship despite being the most senior member of the law faculty. His legal action highlights a 2021 pay study conducted by the university, which reportedly revealed that he earned nearly $14,000 less annually compared to his white colleagues.
The lawsuit raises significant concerns about potential discrimination within the University of Colorado Law School and its impact on faculty members of diverse backgrounds. Campos’s claims of being subjected to lower evaluations and salary disparities based on his ethnicity call attention to the need for equitable treatment and equal opportunities for all faculty members.
As this legal battle unfolds, it remains to be seen how the university will respond to Campos’s allegations. The case also ignites discussions within the legal education community, prompting reflections on the evaluation processes for faculty members and the importance of addressing potential biases within academic institutions.
Ultimately, the outcome of this lawsuit will have implications not only for Campos and the University of Colorado Law School but also for the broader legal education landscape, potentially leading to reforms and greater attention to issues of equity and fairness within the field.
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