Ann C. Scales (May 29, 1952 – June 24, 2012) was an American lawyer, activist, and law professor at the

University of Denver The University of Denver (DU) is a private research university in Denver, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1864, it has an enrollment of approximately 5,700 undergraduate students and 7,200 graduate students. It is classified among "R1: D ...

Sturm College of Law The Sturm College of Law ("Denver Law") is the professional graduate law school of the University of Denver. It is one of two law schools in the state of Colorado. Founded in 1892, the Sturm College of Law was one of the first in America's Mount ...

from 2003 to 2012, where she taught in constitutional law, sexual orientation and the law, civil procedure and

tort A tort is a civil wrong, other than breach of contract, that causes a claimant to suffer loss or harm, resulting in legal liability for the person who commits the tortious act. Tort law can be contrasted with criminal law, which deals with cri ...

s. She was a founder of the legal field of

feminist jurisprudence Feminist legal theory, also known as feminist jurisprudence, is based on the belief that the law has been fundamental in women's historical subordination. Feminist jurisprudence the philosophy of law is based on the political, economic, and soci ...

, and coined the term feminist jurisprudence in 1977.

Biography

Early life and education

Ann Catherine Scales was born in

Shawnee, Oklahoma Shawnee () is a city in and the county seat of Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 29,857 in 2010, a 4.9 percent increase from the figure of 28,692 in 2000. The city is part of the Oklah ...

. Her father

James R. Scales James Ralph Scales (May 27, 1919 – March 12, 1996) was president of Oklahoma Baptist University (his alma mater), 1961–1965, and eleventh president of Wake Forest University, from 1968-1983. He was a member of the Cherokee Nation and was act ...

was the president of

Oklahoma Baptist University Oklahoma Baptist University (OBU) is a private Baptist university in Shawnee, Oklahoma. It was established in 1910 under the original name of The Baptist University of Oklahoma. OBU is owned and was founded by the Baptist General Convention of ...

from 1961 to 1965. He went on to be president of

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...

from 1968 to 1983. Her mother, Elizabeth Ann Randel Scales, had also been a professor and was very active in the Red Cross and in arranging events at these universities. Scales received her B.A. from

Wellesley College Wellesley College is a Private university, private Women's colleges in the United States, historically women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henr ...

in history and philosophy in 1974 and her J.D. in 1978 from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest law school in continuous operation in the United ...

, where she served on Harvard Legal Aid and the Harvard Women's Law Association. She was a member of the committee that put together "Celebration 25", a party and conference held in 1978 to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the first women graduating from Harvard Law School. This project eventually turned into the Harvard Women's Law Journal, currently the Harvard Journal of Law & Gender.

Career

Ann Scales taught at the

University of New Mexico Law School The University of New Mexico School of Law (UNM Law or New Mexico Law) is the law school of the University of New Mexico, a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1947, it is the only law school in the st ...

for 18 years. She was a visiting professor at the

University of Iowa College of Law The University of Iowa College of Law is the law school of the University of Iowa, located in Iowa City, Iowa. It was founded in 1865. History The law school was founded in 1865 by George Grover Wright and Chester C. Cole as an independent la ...

Boston College Law School Boston College Law School (BC Law) is the law school of Boston College, a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. It is situated on a campus in Newton, Massachusetts, about from the university's main campus in Chestn ...

, the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

Faulty of Law, and the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

. At the time of her death, she was a professor at the University of Denver's Sturm College of Law. Scales was among the founders of the field of

and invented the term

in 1977 while planning a panel for Celebration 25. Throughout her career, Ann Scales practiced pro bono law in the fields of reproductive rights and LGBTQI rights. She argued the case in which the

New Mexico Supreme Court The New Mexico Supreme Court () is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is established and its powers defined by Article VI of the New Mexico Constitution. It is primarily an appellate court which reviews civil and criminal ...

became the first high court of any state to hold that abortion funding is required by women's interest in equality. She also worked on the

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the University of Colorado Denver, and the U ...

football gang rape case; the effort to bring a women's marathon to the Olympics; and R. v. Butler, a pornography case in which Canada's Supreme Court redefined obscenity based on the standard of harm it inflicts, particularly to women. Scales, a supporter of

postmodernism Postmodernism encompasses a variety of artistic, Culture, cultural, and philosophical movements that claim to mark a break from modernism. They have in common the conviction that it is no longer possible to rely upon previous ways of depicting ...

and

Critical legal studies Critical legal (CLS) is a school of critical theory that developed in the United States during the 1970s.Alan Hunt, "The Theory of Critical Legal Studies," Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, Vol. 6, No. 1 (1986): 1-45, esp. 1, 5. Se DOI, 10.1093/ojl ...

, argued that objective reality was a myth constructed by the

patriarchy Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of authority are primarily held by men. The term ''patriarchy'' is used both in anthropology to describe a family or clan controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males, and in fem ...

. Ann Scales was a former rodeo rider and was in part descended from Cherokee Native Americans. Some of her ancestors walked the

Trail of Tears The Trail of Tears was the forced displacement of about 60,000 people of the " Five Civilized Tribes" between 1830 and 1850, and the additional thousands of Native Americans and their black slaves within that were ethnically cleansed by the U ...

from North Carolina to Oklahoma. She died on June 24, 2012, in a hospice in Denver, Colorado, as a result of massive brain trauma after a fall down the stairs in her home earlier in the month.

Publications

Books

*''Legal Feminism: Activism, Lawyering, and Legal Theory''. NYU Press, 2006.

Journal articles

"Student Gladiators and Sexual Assault: A New Analysis of Liability for Injuries Inflicted by College Athletes"
''

Michigan Journal of Gender & Law The ''Michigan Journal of Gender & Law'' is a biannual law review published by an independent student group at the University of Michigan Law School. It publishes articles and student-written notes that explore how gender issues (and related issue ...

'' Vol. 15, No. 205 (2008–2009). U Denver Legal Studies Research Paper No. 07-39.
"Surviving Legal De-Education: An Outsider's Guide"
'' Vermont Law Review'', 1990. *"Soft on Defense: The Failure to Confront Militarism". 20 ''Berkeley Journal of Gender, Law & Justice'' 369. *"Law and Feminism: Together in Struggle". 51 '' University of Kansas Law Review'' 291 (February 2003). *"The Jurisprudence of the Military-Industrial Complex". 1 '' Seattle Journal for Social Justice'' 541 (Spring/Summer 2003). *"Toward A Feminist Jurisprudence". ''Indiana Law Journal'', 1981. *"Disappearing Medusa: The Fate of Feminist Legal Theory?". 20 ''Harvard Women's Law Journal'' 34 (Spring 1997). *"Feminist Legal Method: Not So Scary". 2 ''UCLA Women's Law Journal'' 1 (Spring 1992). *"Midnight Train to Us". ''

Cornell Law Journal The ''Cornell Law Review'' is the flagship legal journal of Cornell Law School. Originally published in 1915 as the ''Cornell Law Quarterly'', the journal features scholarship in all fields of law. Notably, past issues of the ''Cornell Law Revi ...

'' Page 710, Vol. 75. No. 3 (March 1990). *"The Emergence of Feminist Jurisprudence: An Essay". 95 ''

Yale Law Journal ''The Yale Law Journal'' (YLJ) is a student-run law review affiliated with the Yale Law School. Published continuously since 1891, it is the most widely known of the eight law reviews published by students at Yale Law School. The journal is one ...

'' 1373–1403 (1986). *"The Women's Peace Movement and Law: Feminist Jurisprudence as Oxymoron?". Volume 59, Issue 6, ''

Faculty of Law, University of Toronto The University of Toronto Faculty of Law (U of T Law, UToronto Law) is the law school of the University of Toronto, located at the St. George campus in Downtown Toronto. It is the top ranked common law faculty in Canada. Each class in UofT's th ...

'', 1988.

References

DU Prof. Ann Scales Moved to Hospice After Brain Trauma

Law Week Colorado ''Law Week Colorado'' is a weekly newspaper covering legal issues specifically for lawyers, law firms, corporate counsel and the judiciary in Colorado. It is an official Colorado legal publication, as defined by state statute. The publication lau ...

, 2012-06-19.
Dean on Professor Scales: "We Won't See The Likes Of Her Again"

, 2012-06-25.
Former Winston-Salem resident was pioneer in field of feminist legal theory

Winston-Salem Journal The ''Winston-Salem Journal'' is an American, English language daily newspaper primarily serving Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, North Carolina. It also covers Northwestern North Carolina. The paper is owned by Lee Enterprises. ''The Journ ...

, 2012-06-26.
Ann Scales, Former UNM Law Professor, Succumbs to Injuries

University of New Mexico School of Law The University of New Mexico School of Law (UNM Law or New Mexico Law) is the law school of the University of New Mexico, a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1947, it is the only law school in the st ...

, 2012-06-25.
A 'Conversation With ...' series to host author and lawyer Ann Scales on Tuesday, Oct. 5

. Accessed 2011-01-21. * Alfred Brophy
Ann Scales
The Faculty Lounge blog, 2012-06-24.
Faculty Profile: Ann C. Scales

. Accessed 2012-06-26.
A Conversation With Ann Scales - Wake Forrest University
* Bridget Crawford

In Memory of Ann Scales 1952–2012. Feminist Law Professors blog. 2012-06-27. {{DEFAULTSORT:Scales, Ann 1952 births 2012 deaths American civil rights lawyers 20th-century American women lawyers American legal scholars American legal writers Harvard Law School alumni Wellesley College alumni American philosophers of law Oklahoma lawyers Writers from Oklahoma People from Shawnee, Oklahoma University of New Mexico faculty American feminists American women legal scholars 20th-century American lawyers American women academics 21st-century American women Deaths from falls