Faculty/Staff Profile
Professor Emily Grant joined the faculty at Washburn University School of Law in 2011, where she teaches courses in legal writing and estates and trusts. Prior to coming to Washburn, she taught legal writing courses at her alma mater, the University of Illinois College of Law, where as a student she served as articles editor for the University of Illinois Law Review. Professor Grant then joined the University of Kansas School of Law faculty as a part-time lecturer in the Lawyering Program; she was later named as a full-time lawyering professor while also working with students as part of the Academic Resources Program.
Before transitioning to a teaching career, Professor Grant was senior court counsel for the Palau Supreme Court, which serves the small island nation located in the Pacific Ocean. She also clerked for the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois, and the United States District Court for the District of Kansas.
Professor Grant is a co-director of the Institute for Law Teaching and Learning and teaches in the law school's Legal Analysis, Research, and Writing Program.
Professor Grant's Recommended Reading on Racial Justice:
"I Quit: Lessons for Educators from The Great Resignation," 84 University of Pittsburgh Law Review Online 1 (2023) (co-authored with Elisabeth Wilder).
"Belongingness," 54 Connecticut Law Review Online 1 (2022).
"Helicopter Professors," 53 Gonzaga Law Review 1 (2018). Discussed:
"Beyond Best Practices: Lessons from Tina Stark About the First Day of Class," 95 Oregon Law Review 397 (2017). Discussed:
"The Pink Tower Meets the Ivory Tower: Adapting Montessori Teaching Methods for Law School," 68 Arkansas Law Review 603 (2015).
"At the [Other Side of the] Lectern," 64 Journal of Legal Education 103 (2014).
"Memorializing the Meal: An Analogical Exercise for Transactional Drafting," 36 University of Hawaii Law Review 403 (2014) (co-authored with William E. Foster).
"The Ideological Divide: Conflict and the Supreme Court’s Certiorari Decision," 60 Cleveland State Law Review 559 (2012) (co-authored with Scott A. Hendrickson and Michael S. Lynch).
"The Bride, the Groom, and the Court: A One-Ring Circus," 35 Capital University Law Review 743 (2007) (with Alan P. Grant).
"Toward a Deeper Understanding of Legal Research and Writing as a Developing Profession," 27 Vermont Law Review 371 (2003).
"While You Were Sleeping or Addicted: A Suggested Expansion of the Automatism Doctrine to Include an Addiction Defense," 2000 University of Illinois Law Review 997.
Co-Author, Assessment of Teaching and Learning: A Comprehensive Guidebook for Law Schools (Carolina Academic Press, 2021) (with Gerald Hess, Kelly Terry, and Sandra Simpson).
Editor, Kansas Probate and Trust Administration after Death. 8th ed. (Kansas Bar Association, 2018).
Co-editor, Experiential Education in the Law School Curriculum (Carolina Academic Press, 2018) (with Sandra Simpson and Kelly Terry).
Editor, Kansas Basic Will & Trust Drafting. 2nd ed. (Kansas Bar Association, 2017).
"Assessment and Grading" in Legal Writing Sourcebook, 3rd ed. (edited by J. Lyn Entrikin and Mary B. Trevor) (American Bar Association, 2020) (with Tonya Kowalski).
"Experiential Learning Deliverables: Making the Most of the Experience" in Experiential Education in the Law School Curriculum (edited by Emily Grant, Sandra Simpson, Kelly Terry) (Carolina Academic Press, 2018) (with William E. Foster).
"Legal Writing Criticism, Roadblocks and Motivations," 91:3 The Journal of the Kansas Bar Association 14 (May/June 2022).
"Cleaning Up Quotations," 90:3 The Journal of the Kansas Bar Association 16 (May/June 2021).
"Assessment: How to Do It and How LSSSE Can Help," LSSSE Guest Blog, Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research, April 21, 2021.
"Threading the Needle: Are We Modeling Inappropriate Use of Humor for Our Students?," 28 Perspectives: Teaching Legal Research & Writing 9 (2020).
"What I Learned About Teaching Online After a Summer of Virtual Conferences, Classes, and Meeting," TaxProf Blog (August 11, 2020).
"Assessment In Online Law School Classes," TaxProf Blog (March 25, 2020).
"Giving Effective Feedback on Writing," 88:7 The Journal of the Kansas Bar Association 2 (July/August 2019).
"Reading for Better Writing," 87:9 The Journal of the Kansas Bar Association 27 (October 2018).
"A Sampler of Thoughts on Writing Samples," 87:7 The Journal of the Kansas Bar Association 27 (July/August 2018).
"Making a Great Second Impression: Overcoming a Rough Start in Law School Classes," 31:1 The Second Draft 22 (Spring 2018) (with Joe Fore).
"Thank You Notes," 86:7 The Journal of the Kansas Bar Association 52 (July/August 2017).
"New Lawyer Surprises," 85:2 The Journal of the Kansas Bar Association 10 (February 2016).
"The Commonplace Meets The Marketplace: Accessible Analogies For Transactional Drafting," 16 Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law 397 (2015) (with William E. Foster).
"Students at the Front of the Classroom," 21:2 The Law Teacher 6 (Spring 2015).
"The Dwindling Art of a Simple Letter," 83:5 The Journal of the Kansas Bar Association 16 (May 2014).
Institute for Law Teaching and Learning (blog contributor)
"Please Pause for a Moment of Shelf-Reflection," 82:3 The Journal of the Kansas Bar Association 14 (March 2013).
"Straight from the Horses' Mouths," 81:7 The Journal of the Kansas Bar Association 12 & 19 (July/August 2012).
Co-facilitated a scholarship workshop, Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) Scholars Forum, University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law, October 22, 2021.
Outstanding Service Award, Kansas Bar Association, 2019.
Member, Board of Editors, Journal of The Kansas Bar Association, 2011-.
Profiled, "Clerking in Paradise," 2:4 LWI (Legal Writing Institute) Lives 1 (January 1, 2016).
Discussant, "Women in Law School Leadership Roles," 2024 Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS) Conference, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, July 27, 2024.
Discussant, "Suggestions for Effective Teaching and Learning in the Trusts and Estates Classroom," 2024 Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS) Conference, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, July 26, 2024.
Discussant, "Current and Evolving Trusts and Estates Scholarship," 2024 Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS) Conference, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, July 26, 2024.
Panelist, "Hot Potato or Best Friend? Deciding Who in the Academy is Responsible for Generative AI," 2024 Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS) Conference, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, July 25, 2024.
Moderator, "Legal Research and Writing: Writing Connections," 2024 Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS) Conference, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, July 25, 2024.
Discussant, "Assessing Learning to Achieve Student Competency," 2024 Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS) Conference, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, July 24, 2024.
Moderator, "Dangerous Curves Ahead: Using Legal Writing and Academic Support Programs to Sustain Ourselves on the Road to Law School Success," 2024 Legal Writing Institute (LWI) Biennial Conference, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Indianapolis, Indiana, July 19, 2024.
Panelist, "The Unending Conversation," 2024 Legal Writing Institute (LWI) Biennial Conference, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Indianapolis, Indiana July 17, 2024.
"More Effective Leadership Through Emotional Intelligence," The Center for American and International Law Leadership Class, March 19, 2024 (Zoom) (with Shelby Grau).
"Emotional Intelligence and Leadership" Center for Teaching Excellence and Learning (CTEL), Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas, November 16, 2023 (with Shelby Grau).
"Reimagining Syllabi," Center for Teaching Excellence and Learning (CTEL) Course Reboot Day, Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas, August 16, 2023.
Participant, "Pedagogy and the NextGen Bar: Don't Let the Door Hit You on the Way Out," Trusts and Estates Workshop, Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS), Boca Raton, Florida, July 28, 2023.
Participant, "Works-in-Progress Series: Legal Research and Writing—Writing Connections," Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS), Boca Raton, Florida, July 28, 2023.
Moderator, "Current and Evolving Scholarship," Trusts and Estates Workshop, Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS), Boca Raton, Florida, July 27, 2023.
Panelist, "Reassessing Assessment," Law Teaching Workshop, Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS), Boca Raton, Florida, July 23, 2023.
"Effective Leadership Through Emotional Intelligence," 2023 American Bar Association (ABA) Associate Deans Conference, Chicago, Illinois, July 13, 2023 (with Shelby Grau).
Panelist - "Understanding and Navigating ADA Accommodations in the Law School Environment," 2023 American Bar Association (ABA) Associate Deans Conference, Chicago, Illinois, July 12, 2023 (with Jennifer Baron, Shelby Grau and David Jaffe).
"Four-Letter %&!@ Words," Women Attorneys' Association of Topeka (WAAT), April 19, 2023 (with Elisabeth Wilder).
"Learning Outcomes and Assessment," Trusts and Estates Session, Association of American Law Schools (AALS) 2023 Annual Meeting, San Diego, California, January 7, 2023.
Key Presenter, Institute for Law Teaching & Learning Fall Conference 2022 - Beyond Learning Outcomes: Working the Assessment Plan, Suffolk University Law School, Boston, Massachusetts, September 17, 2022 ("The Assessment Plan" and "Using Data").
"Receiving and Giving Feedback on Writing," Kansas Women Attorneys Association 33rd Annual Conference, Lindsborg, Kansas, July 15, 2022.
"70 Miles Apart on I-70 but Three Different Worlds," Central States Legal Writing Conference, University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law, October 22, 2021, (with Pam Keller and Wanda Temm).
"Writing Resources," Kansas Bar Association Mid-Year Virtual CLE Meeting, CLE Slam!, Topeka, Kansas, June 10, 2021.
"Clarity in Your Writing," Wichita Bar Association, Wichita, Kansas, January 14, 2020.
Mock Law School Class, Lyons High School, Lyons, Kansas, November 22, 2019.
"Clarity in Your Writing," Kansas Department of Labor, Topeka, Kansas, November 19, 2019.
"Clarity in Your Writing," Kansas Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, Topeka, Kansas, November 4, 2019.
"No Vehicles in the Park," Constitution Day, Chase Middle School, Topeka, Kansas, September 16, 2019.
"Giving Effective Feedback on Legal Writing," Kansas Women Attorneys Association's 30th Annual Conference, Lindsborg, Kansas, July 28, 2019.
Mock Law School Class, Wichita State University’s Kansas Kids @ GEAR UP, Topeka, Kansas, June 26, 2019.
"Clarity in Your Writing," Appellate Defender Office, Topeka, Kansas, June 25, 2019.
"Clarity in Your Writing," Kansas Bar Association (KBA) Annual Meeting, Topeka, Kansas, June 21, 2019.
"Teaching with Humor and Professionalism," Association of Legal Writing Directors (ALWD) 2019 Biennial Conference, Suffolk Law School, Boston, Massachusetts, May 31, 2019.
Mock Law School Class, Truman High School, Independence, Missouri, February 14, 2019.
"Clarity in Your Writing," National Association of Legal Assistants Webinar, January 31, 2019.
Panelist, "What to Make of Student Evaluations," AALS Arc of Career Program, Association of American Law Schools annual meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, January 3, 2019.
"Clarity in Your Writing," Kansas Court of Appeals, CLE session, Topeka, Kansas, October 18, 2018.
Panelist, "The Helicopter Effect: Connecting with Students and Society," Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS) 2018 Annual Conference, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, August 8, 2018.
Panelist, "Teaching Fundamentals I – How to Design and Implement a Law School Course," Southeastern Association of Law Schools (SEALS) 2018 Annual Conference, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, August 7, 2018.
"Helicopter Professors," 18th Biennial Legal Writing Institute Conference, Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 12, 2018.
"Helicopter Professors," Sixth Annual Southwestern Consortium of Academic Support Professionals Workshop, Assisting the Modern Law Student: Academic Support in Changing Times, UNT Dallas College of Law, Dallas, Texas, March 9, 2018.
"Legal Writing Concepts and Issues," Heartland Paralegal Association Annual Fall Seminar, Lenexa, Kansas, November 3, 2017.
"Cultivating Collaboration through Constructive Competition," Central States Legal Writing Conference, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Indianapolis, Indiana, September 16, 2017 (with Pamela Keller and Joyce Rosenberg).
"Making a Great Second Impression: Resetting a Legal Writing Class after a Rough Stretch," Association of Legal Writing Directors 2017 Biennial Conference, University of Minnesota Law School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 19, 2017 (with Joe Fore).
"Helicopter Professors," Conference on Positive Lawyering, Mindfulness, and Humane Games, University of Colorado Law School, Boulder, Colorado, June 2, 2017.
"Helicopter Professors," University of Oklahoma College of Law, April 19, 2017.
"Legal Education in 2037," Honorable Wesley E. Brown Inn of Court, Wichita, Kansas, April 18, 2017.
"Helicopter Professor," Association of American Law Schools Balance Section Topic Call, April 12, 2017.
"Legal Writing Concepts and Issues," Kansas Women Attorneys Association conference, CLE session, Lindsborg, Kansas, July 16, 2016.
"Beyond Best Practices: Lessons from Tina Stark about the First Day of School," 17th Biennial Legal Writing Institute Conference, Portland, Oregon, July 11, 2016.
"Adapting the Montessori Method," The Teaching Professor Conference, Washington, DC, June 4, 2016.
"Identifying and Creating Institutional Outcomes," Institute for Law Teaching and Learning Spring Conference on Responding to the New ABA Standards: Best Practices in Outcomes Assessment, Boston University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts, April 2, 2016 (with Sandra Simpson).
"Externship Deliverables: Making the Most of the Experience," Institute for Law Teaching and Learning Summer Conference on Experiential Learning Across the Curriculum, Gonzaga University School of Law, Spokane, Washington, June 13, 2015 (with William E. Foster)
"Adapting Montessori Teaching Methods for Law School," Association of Legal Writing Directors 2015 Biennial Conference, University of Memphis School of Law, Memphis, Tennessee, June 5, 2015.
"Adapting Montessori Teaching Methods for Law School," Central States Law Schools Association, 2014 Annual Scholarship Conference, Louisiana State University Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, October 11, 2014.
"Analogical Exercises for Transactional Drafting," Fourth Biennial Conference on Teaching Transactional Law and Skills, Educating the Transactional Lawyer of Tomorrow, Emory University School of Law, Atlanta, Georgia, June 6, 2014 (with William E. Foster).
"Students at the Front of the Classroom," Central States Legal Writing Conference, University of Kansas School of Law, Lawrence, Kansas, September 28, 2013.
“The Pink Tower Meets the Ivory Tower: Adapting Montessori Teaching Methods for Law School,” Association of Legal Writing Directors Scholars’ Forum, University of Kansas School of Law, Lawrence, Kansas, September 27, 2013.
"Students at the Front of the Classroom," Association of Legal Writing Directors' 2013 Biennial Conference, Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 28, 2013.
Panelist, "Meow! Meow!: Ways to Herd Cats and Coordinate in a Directorless Program," Association of Legal Writing Directors' 2013 Biennial Conference, Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 27, 2013 (with Joseph Mastrosimone, Jeffrey Jackson and Tonya Kowlaski).
"Analogical Exercises for Transactional Drafting," Association of Legal Writing Directors' 2013 Biennial Conference, Marquette University Law School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, June 27, 2013.
"Analogical Exercises for Transactional Drafting," Institute for Law Teaching and Learning, Hybrid Law Teaching, Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas, June 8, 2013 (with William Foster).
Moderator, "Teaching Legal Writing to International and ESL Students," Student Populations: Diversity Matters (Legal Writing Institute one-day workshop), Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas, December 1, 2012.
"Clarity in Your Writing," Kansas Legislative Research Department, Topeka, Kansas, July 12, 2012.
"Legal Writing Concepts and Issues," Selected Topics and Miscellany 2012 CLE Program, Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas, June 21, 2012.
Panelist, "Views from the Tenure Track," The 15th Biennial Conference of the Legal Writing Institute, Palm Desert, California, May 31, 2012.
Conference organizer, "Compliance with ABA Standards," Institute for Law Teaching and Learning Summer Conference, McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, Sacramento, California, May 30 - June 3, 2023.
Planning Committee and Conference Host, "Teaching Today’s Law Students," Institute for Law Teaching and Learning Summer Conference, Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas, June 3-5, 2019.
Workshop Co-Organizer, Washburn Junior Legal Writing Scholars Workshop, Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas, July 27-28, 2018.
Planning Committee, "Exploring the Use of Technology in the Law School Classroom," Institute for Law Teaching and Learning Summer Conference, Gonzaga University School of Law, Spokane, Washington, June 18-20, 2018.
Planning Committee, "Law Teaching for Adjunct Faculty and New Professors," Institute for Law Teaching and Learning Spring Conference, Texas A&M University School of Law, Fort Worth, Texas, April 28, 2018.
Workshop Co-Organizer, Washburn Junior Legal Writing Scholars Workshop, Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas, July 28-29, 2017.
Planning Committee, "Teaching Cultural Competency and Other Professional Skills Suggested by ABA Standard 302," Institute for Law Teaching and Learning Summer Conference, University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, Little Rock, Arkansas, July 7-8, 2017.
Workshop Organizer, "Washburn Junior Legal Writing Scholars Workshop," Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas, July 29-30, 2016.
Planning Committee and Conference Host, "Real-World Readiness," Institute for Law Teaching and Learning Summer Conference, Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas, June 9-11, 2016.
Planning Committee, "Scholars and Scholarship Workshop on Feminist Jurisprudence," Fordham University School of Law, New York, New York, January 6, 2016.
Workshop Organizer, "Washburn Junior Legal Writing Scholars Workshop," Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas, July 24-25, 2015.
Planning Committee, "Experiential Learning Across the Curriculum," Institute for Law Teaching and Learning Summer Conference, Gonzaga University School of Law, Spokane, Washington, June 13-14, 2015.
Workshop Organizer, "Washburn Junior Legal Writing Scholars Workshop," Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas, July 25-26, 2014.
Planning Committee, "Assessment Across the Curriculum," Institute for Law Teaching and Learning Summer Conference, University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, Little Rock, Arkansas, April 5, 2014.
Planning Committee Co-chair, "Student Populations: Diversity Matters," Legal Writing Institute (one-day workshop), Washburn University School of Law, Topeka, Kansas, December 1, 2012.
Co-Director, Institute for Law Teaching and Learning (ILTL)-.
Certificate of Teaching and Learning 2020-2021
Certificate of Inclusive Teaching and Learning 2020-2021