Nationally recognized Top 100 trial lawyer and Chair Emeritus of Chapman University’s Board of Trustees Wylie A. Aitken has established a new professorship to support a faculty member whose teaching, scholarship and/or service furthers Chapman University’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. Dale E. Fowler School of Law Professor Janine Young Kim has been selected as the inaugural Wylie A. Aitken Professor of Law, Race, and Social Justice.

“Law and justice are the foundation of this country, which recognizes that social justice gives equal recognition to all without regard to race, country of origin or economic status,” said Aitken. “This professorship and Professor Kim’s work reflect that these principles should be, and are, at the very core of the Chapman University Fowler School of Law.”

“We are so grateful to have a professorship named after one of the most successful and highly respected attorneys in the country,” said Matthew Parlow, dean of the Dale E. Fowler School of Law. “Wylie Aitken has spent his life and career working tirelessly to create a more equitable and just society, and this professorship is just another in a long line of examples of how his vision has helped propel the Fowler School of Law forward.”

Professor Kim’s teaching and scholarship focus on issues of race and social justice, and she has gained a national reputation for her scholarly work in these areas. Additionally, Professor Kim will be co-advisor to the law school’s Diversity and Social Justice Forum beginning next academic year. 

“Chapman University has made great strides on diversity, equity and inclusion, and I look forward to helping further these important values,” said Kim. “It is especially an honor to hold this professorship that bears Wylie’s name given all that he has done at Chapman, in the legal profession, and in the Orange County community.”