Increasing Diversity & Inclusion in the Legal Academy
At the University of Wisconsin Law School, we don't just talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion — we work to create a more diverse and inclusive community dedicated to the pursuit of equal justice under law. We believe law schools have a responsibility to create a learning environment where everyone feels safe, valued, respected, and heard; and we recognize our unique role in working to end systemic inequalities.
The Fellowship reflects a commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. We encourage applications from all prospective candidates with a JD or equivalent degree, including candidates of color and other underrepresented communities in the legal academy.
Current Hastie Fellows
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.
Torey Dolan
Torey Dolan is a current William H. Hastie Fellow at the University of Wisconsin Law School who has been hired to join the UW Law faculty as an assistant professor in January 2025. Her scholarship focuses on Tribal Nations, Democracy, and American Indian self-determination and political actualization in the intersections of Federal Indian Law and Election Law.
Dolan received her J.D. in 2019 from Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law along with a certificate in Federal Indian Law; she went on to be a Native Vote Fellow there for almost four years. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science and government/history from the University of California at Davis in 2016. She is an enrolled citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
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
Program Overview
The Hastie Fellowship is a two-year program that supports aspiring scholars in preparation 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
Commitment to Inclusion
Since 1973, UW Law School’s Hastie Fellowship has been a leader in guiding and increasing opportunities for lawyers of color and other underrepresented communities 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.
