FAQ
Who can sign up to be a listed legal scholar on this website?
Any woman or non-binary individual who has an academic appointment in law (or who is seeking an academic appointment in law) can be listed as a scholar in the database.
Anyone who is interested in being listed on the website can sign up via this link. People do not receive invitations to sign up, they are not selected to sign up, and the advisory board does not choose who appears on the website. If you do not see an eligible scholar listed on this website it is only because they have not signed up. So please encourage them to do so!
I know of a legal scholar that could be listed on this site. Can I sign them up?
No. Please do not do that. It is important for individual scholars to retain control over whether their profile appears in the database. However, we encourage you to reach out to people that you think should be listed on this site and encourage them to sign up.
How can I create, update, or remove my profile?
To create, update, or remove your profile, use the Profile tab in the top navigation.
Do you have suggestions for my profile?
Your profile is your chance to describe your research interests in your own words. Use this space to discuss your research in a way that is accessible to people who may not be experts in your specific sub-field. In particular, you may want to describe your research in a way that will be engaging to other legal scholars, and if you are interested, journalists and other members of the media.
We also suggest that you make your keywords terms that other people will know, understand, and may be likely to enter in a search field. And your about me section might be a space to highlight particularly relevant or recent publications.
I’m a journalist looking for a legal expert to interview. How should I use the database?
First, use the search feature to locate an expert by keywords, which have been added by each expert in building their profile.
Second, contact only the experts who have indicated on their profile that they welcome media contact.
Third, responsibily quote and cite these women experts.
What should I do if a journalist contacts me?
Familiarize yourself with the advice offered here by the University of Michigan’s Public Affairs office.
You can also consider the following suggestions made by the people behind Women Also Know Stuff in their FAQs:
- “Reply to the initial form of contact in a prompt manner. You will likely be contacted via email, but you may also be contacted via your Twitter account (if you have one). Since people who are putting together stories are often on a deadline, a prompt reply is likely helpful to them. We understand that you may not be able to reply right away! Just reply when you can!
- “In some cases, if you take longer to reply, the journalist may have moved on to another source. This is most likely to happen on fast-moving news stories.
- “If you are contacted, it is okay to ask some questions of the journalist to determine if you are interested/comfortable being part of the story. You may ask, for example, if this is an opinion piece and if your comments will be used to bolster/support some claim or argument (and what that claim/argument may be).
- “If you do not want to be part of the story, simply let the journalist know so that they can move on to another source. If you can think of another person who might be interested in contributing, recommend that person.
- “Sometimes you will see the initial contact from the journalist only after their stated deadline time (i.e. the initial message says their deadline for this story is 5 p.m. E.T. Wednesday, but you only see the message at 7 p.m. E.T. Wednesday). You can let the journalist know that you missed their email, but (if this is the case) you can note that you are still available if they want to do any follow-ups on the story in the future.
- “You can ask the journalist to identify you in a certain way. The journalist will likely identify you by your position and university (i.e. Assistant Professor at [University]). You can ask the journalist to also identify you as the author of a book or a director of a center.
- “If you are asked to comment on a topic that is very much outside your area of expertise, you can tell the journalist that this is outside your research area — but give a description of your particular research area in case they are doing a story in the future.”
Where does the information, such as keywords, research areas, and detailed biographies, in the database come from?
All information is generated by the listed scholars themselves.
If I do not want to be contacted by the media, can I still be listed in the database?
Yes, definitely! Being listed in the database is still useful for experts who do not wish to be contacted by the media because it offers a way for other academics to find them and their scholarship. You should simply select “no media” if you do not wish to be contacted by the media.
I did not sign up to be part of the database, but my name is listed. Why?
The database system deters individuals from adding names without the knowledge of the women being added. If you are currently on the website, and did not sign up yourself, please contact an administrator at womenalsoknowlaw@gmail.com.
Where can I find Women Also Know Law on social media?
Find us on Twitter @womenknowlaw, where we’re posting #WomenAlsoKnowLaw updates and promoting women legal academics.
I am having a technical issue with the website, what should I do?
Contact an administrator for support at womenalsknowlaw@gmail.com.
Are there similar websites in other fields?
You betcha. The OG “Women Also Know” are the women of political science at womenalsoknowstuff.com. We think they’re great. You can find their list of related sites here: https://womenalsoknowstuff.com/related-initiatives.
I love Women Also Know Law! What can I do to help?
Thanks for the love! The best way to help is to spread the word. Tell other legal scholars about the website so they can sign up. Most importantly, encourage all of your colleagues, co-authors, and friends regardless of gender to consult the database when developing things like syllabi, speaker series, and conferences. And, if you get a media request or an invitation to a scholarly event but can’t help, refer them to the database.
My law school wants to recruit women to apply for a position. How can Women Also Know Law help?
That’s great! We encourage you to use the database to search for scholars in the appropriate subfield. Listed scholars who are on the market have an option to indicate that status on their profiles.
This list of FAQs was great, but my question isn’t answered here. Who do I contact?
Get in touch at womenalsoknowlaw@gmail.com with your comments, concerns, and suggestions or on Twitter @womenknowlaw. One of our advisory board members will reply as soon as possible.
How can I create, update, or remove my profile?
To create or update your profile, use the Profile tab in the top navigation. To remove your profile, email womenalsoknowlaw@gmail.com.