Dean Kevin Johnson has been a key player in transforming the legal academy. He is responsible for increasing the numeric representation of women, people of color, and women of color in particular in legal academia, adding diversity to a profession that is among the whitest in the nation. 

While numeric representation is critical, ensuring that law faculty from traditionally excluded or marginalized backgrounds enjoy an agreeable qualitative experience is essential to achieving meaningful participation, maximizing inclusion, and facilitating success. Providing opportunities for a select few to enter legal academia only for them to suffer could instead cause significant harm. Thus, Dean Johnson should be revered not only for facilitating access to legal academia but also for creating opportunities for faculty from all backgrounds to feel welcome, included, and valued. In short, his efforts have both opened the doors to the legal academy and enhanced faculty belonging. Remarkably, Dean Johnson managed to do this far beyond his own institution, UC Davis King Hall. And he increased representation not only of Latinos like himself, but of faculty from all backgrounds across the United States and at all stages of their careers. Dean Johnson has been especially supportive of junior scholars, creating opportunities for them, singing their praises, and optimizing their sense of belonging in the legal academy. Under his guidance and mentorship, many have thrived — going on to become senior professors at UC Davis, respected scholars at other top research universities, and even leaders in the legal academy as deans, associate deans, and more. Drawing on Dean Johnson’s efforts at both increasing faculty diversity and improving their experiences, this Article reviews empirical evidence on the number of faculty of color and women faculty in legal academia, while focusing more deliberately on their qualitative experiences over time.