Tania Luma
Assistant Dean, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion & Clinical Professor
Loyola University Chicago School of Law
Why is teaching leadership in law schools important?
Lawyers often serve as leaders in society. Lawyers take on many leadership roles—in law firms, all three branches of state and federal government, academic institutions, businesses, philanthropic and not-for-profit organizations, the volunteer sector, and so on. Lawyers also exercise leadership roles, heading teams, leading committees, overseeing projects, and advising clients who exercise managerial authority. Further, lawyer-leaders practice leadership to benefit society, communities, and social justice. In the face of enormous divides, the practice of leadership is critical–it is the practice of mobilizing people to meet the challenges that will enable them to thrive in changing and challenging times. The need for lawyer-leaders with vision, values, and technical competence is evident.
If you teach a leadership course, what’s the title and brief description of the course?
Lawyers as Leaders: This course aims to increase one’s capacity to lead across boundaries, differences, cultures, and from any political or organizational position. We will also examine leadership from the community and social justice movements to better understand leadership outside of formal authority and traditional power structures. Throughout the course, we will discuss complex global challenges that call for unique solutions.
If you use a textbook or book, what do you use?
Heifetz, Ronald, Leadership Without Easy Answers, Cambridge: Belknap/Harvard University Press, 1994; Williams, Dean, Real Leadership; Helping People and Organizations Face Their Toughest Challenges, San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2005
If you or your law school have a leadership program, what’s the title and brief description of the program?
No formal leadership program. I teach the Lawyers as Leaders course and provide leadership training for student leaders in the summer.
What’s your favorite leadership book? Why?
As of now, Williams, Dean, Real Leadership; Helping People and Organizations Face Their Toughest Challenges, San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2005. It’s currently my favorite because it provides a great blueprint for teaching adaptive leadership.
What, if anything, do you want the reader to know about your views about leadership that doesn’t fit any of the above questions?
A traditional assumption was that leaders were born, not made, and law schools rarely devoted attention to leadership education. Today, it is well understood that major leadership competencies can be learned through understanding and practice. Now, through this committee and the work of so many, we can equip our students for leadership and management roles and for success in the organizations and the causes they may serve. Deeply excited about this work.