Leanne Shank

Leanne Shank

Of Counsel

Leanne Shank is of counsel to the Law School Admission Council, transitioning from her prior position as senior vice president of legal and corporate affairs and general counsel. She supports the legal team which provides legal advice to the Board of Trustees, its committees, senior leadership, and managers in all areas of LSAC operations. A key focus of her current work is advising LSAC on governance, enterprise risk, and compliance matters, and managing LSAC’s intellectual property. Shank also works with disability associations and communities to help enhance the pipeline of diverse individuals to law schools and reduce barriers to legal education and the legal profession. Previously, Shank was general counsel to Washington and Lee University for almost 23 years. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including her role as past chair of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA), which is the leading higher education lawyer’s association. Shank earned a BA with summa cum laude honors from the State University of New York at Oswego and a JD from University of North Carolina School of Law.

Marc Maurer’s story is nothing short of inspiring. He’s been blind since he was an infant, and he attended law school at a time when accommodations for students with disabilities were a far cry from what they are today. I recently was honored to speak with Marc about his background, the challenges he’s faced in his career, and how those with disabilities can make a difference in the legal profession.
Today, December 3, is the United Nations’ International Day of Persons With Disabilities. The U.N. has marked this occasion since 1992, and the goal of the observance is to “promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.” That goal is at the core of our mission at LSAC, where we’ve worked hard to help people with disabilities enter the legal profession and add their diverse voices to our justice system.