Welcome back to Ahead of the Curve. I'm Karen Sloan, legal education editor at Law.com, and I'll be your host for this weekly look at innovation and notable developments in legal education.

I'm excited to be back after a holiday hiatus and three days in New Orleans attending the Association of American Law Schools 2019 Annual Meeting—the largest annual gathering of legal academics in the country. This week I've got a rundown of highlights from The Big Easy, including the sunnier atmosphere around the eventnow that legal education appears to be rebounding from its long slump. I'm also recapping the many ways that women were in the spotlight, and I'm paying homage to the University of Houston Law Center's Michael Olivas, who was honored with the AALS' highest award. 

Please share your thoughts and feedback with me at [email protected] or on Twitter:@KarenSloanNLJ

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