Advancing Equal Justice in the Legal Academy
At University of Wisconsin Law School, we are committed to equal justice under the law. That means creating an inclusive learning environment, addressing systemic inequalities, and preparing the next generation of scholars, teachers and lawyers to lead the way forward.
The Hastie Fellowship is a two-year program that supports aspiring scholars preparing for a career in law teaching. The Fellowship reflects the Law School's commitment to creating opportunities for people who might not otherwise have the chance to become law professors. It began as an effort to address discrimination and the lack of diversity in the legal academy. Over the decades, many Hastie Fellows have gone on to become leading legal scholars, teachers and lawyers.
We encourage applications from all prospective candidates with a J.D. or equivalent degree, including people who embody a wide range of identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
Current Hastie Fellows
Emma Shakeshaft
Emma Shakeshaft (UW Law ’12), formerly a senior staff attorney and researcher at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wisconsin, is a current William H. Hastie Fellow. After earning her J.D. in 2012, she pursued sociology, earning a master’s degree in 2014 and a Ph.D. in 2017. She also served as a doctoral fellow at the American Bar Foundation in Chicago and a postdoctoral fellow at the Newcomb College Institute at Tulane University.
At the ACLU, Shakeshaft focused on impact litigation and research on constitutional rights within the criminal legal system. Her work spans various civil rights issues, including policing, poverty, and incarceration. Last semester, before her selection as Hastie Fellow, Shakeshaft developed and taught a course at UW Law entitled Constitutional Rights and Criminal Justice.
Arti Walker-Peddakotla
Arti Walker-Peddakotla is a current William H. Hastie Fellow at University of Wisconsin Law School. The 2022 Soros Justice Fellow, former elected local official and U.S. Army veteran sees the fellowship as a continuation of her work in building a world “where we all have the freedom to thrive.”
Walker-Peddakotla’s research focuses on the role of the state in prison industrial complex abolition. She earned a J.D. in 2024 from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she co-created and co-taught the LAW156: Abolition and Movement Lawyering course. She also earned a master’s degree in microbiology and immunology at Loyola in 2012 and a bachelor’s degree in biology from Grand Valley State University in 2008.
Previous Hastie Fellows
Mario Barnes
Dean Emeritus
University of Washington Law School
Hastie Fellow 2002-2004
Stacy Leeds
Willard H. Pedrick Dean
Sandra Day O’Connor
College of Law,
Arizona State University
Hastie Fellow 1998-2000
Thomas Mitchell
Professor of Law; Director of the Initiative on Promoting Land and Housing Rights
Boston College Law School
Hastie Fellow 1996-1999
Kimberle Williams Crenshaw
Professor of Law
Columbia Law School
Hastie Fellow 1984-1985
50th Anniversary Reception
Program Overview
The Hastie Fellowship is a two-year program that supports aspiring scholars preparing for a career in law teaching. Fellows pursue a scholarly agenda of their choice, typically prepare two pieces for publication, and receive mentoring in both their teaching and scholarly work.
Two-year Program
Scholarly Agenda & Publication
Teaching & Scholarly Mentoring
Pathways to Law Teaching
Since 1973, UW Law School’s Hastie Fellowship has been a leader in guiding and increasing opportunities for lawyers from a wide range of identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives to become law professors. The program honors William H. Hastie (1904-1976), a lawyer, teacher, jurist and civil rights advocate who championed the importance of high-quality legal education.
Learn more about the Hastie Fellowship history and the remarkable careers of our Hastie graduates.
Scholarly & Teaching Expertise
Under the guidance of mentors and with faculty support, Hastie Fellows will:
- engage in intensive research and writing,
- participate in the hiring process of law schools, and
- gain teaching experience.
Program Sequence
Hastie Fellows are appointed for a term of two years.
- First year: emphasis on scholarship and research agenda
- Second year: application to legal teaching market; emphasis on teaching experience and publication of research
Contact Us
Please email hastiefellowship@law.wisc.edu with any Hastie Fellowship questions.
