For early-career scholars and aspiring academics, I write “The Tenure Track,” a Substack where I share real talk about navigating academia, based on my experience. From job market tips to boundary-setting, this is a space for growth, honesty, and thriving on your own terms. thetenuretrack.com

Most law review articles don’t fail because the ideas are bad. They fail because the structure isn’t clear. I learned that the hard way. I turned my outlining process into a short workbook called Law Review Launchpad. Sharing in case it helps someone. thetenuretrack.gumroad.com/l/aikclp

Today I’m reminded of one of my favorite essays, rooted in a keynote I gave at an MLK celebration at Villanova Law last year. I reflected on Dr. King’s vision of racial justice and multiracial democracy through my grandmother’s urban gardening in the South Bronx. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Today!

A highlight of this years AALS conference was giving Patricia Williams an Impact Legacy Award. Her work is an inspiration.

What if clarity is not something we find, but something we slowly create? I have noticed how often we wait for a perfect moment of certainty before we allow ourselves to move. But should we? 🧵⤵️

Want More People to Share Your Research? Make It Stick. Ever wonder why some research spreads while others get ignored? The secret: People share work that connects to their lives. Here’s how to make your research feel urgent, relevant, and impossible to ignore. 🧵⤵️

This #GivingTuesday, I’m supporting G Is For Gullah, Inc.—the 501(c)(3) my wife founded to preserve Gullah Geechee culture through scholarships, community education, and cultural programming. Donate: www.paypal.com/donate/?host... #GullahGeechee #GivingTuesday #SupportBlackNonprofits

Want Your Research to Matter? Make It Visible. Groundbreaking work means nothing if no one sees it. Most research stays locked in journals, but visibility builds impact. Here’s how to make your work accessible and influential. 🧵⤵️

Since the dawn of time, stories have captured our histories, ideas, and beliefs. In academia, we often focus on theory. But the power of stories lies in their ability to heal, uplift, and renew by reflecting personal struggles, growth, and dreams. 🧵⤵️

Here is how I reignited my creativity in academia after years of going through the motions. Ever feel like your academic life has become a routine of service, teaching, and publishing? I know I did. This is what I learned and how I fixed it. 🧵⤵️

Poetry open.substack.com/pub/freedomp...

Yesterday, I ran 26.2 miles around New York City with my brother by my side. As a native New Yorker from the South Bronx, this one meant a lot. I’m proud of myself for facing my fears, staying the course, raising money for charity, and tackling this goal at 40.

PEOPLE WHO: • get lost in Black literature • think in systems and metaphors • use poetry to heal wounds • cherish quiet moments alone • find joy in sharing knowledge • believe Black history is American history • walk with faith as your compass My page is for you! 🌍📚🙏🏽

Part Four in my five-week dialogue with @robert_the_contemplative in response to Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. A meditation on leaving and returning, on memory and the quiet sanctuaries we carry in our hearts. Read the full poem on my Substack: freedompapers.substack.com/p/for-the-on...

A few months ago, I saw a headline on LinkedIn: “Professor Wins Teaching Award.” Curious, I clicked to learn more. Their bio was 3 years out of date. Their headshot looked like it was from 2005. Their LinkedIn mentioned projects from years ago. Brilliant scholar. Invisible online. 🧵⤵️

After the Comet: Du Bois, Afrofuturism, and Constitutional Renewal — forthcoming in NYU Law Review (2026). What if W.E.B. Du Bois’s The Comet—a speculative short story—holds the key to understanding how protest movements repeatedly remake and renew the Constitution? Stay tuned.

A new essay over on Substack, adapted remarks from a recent symposium where I discuss my hair journey. open.substack.com/pub/freedomp...

Here's Why Stories Trump Statistics in Academia. . . As scholars, we’re trained to build arguments with evidence, precedent, and logic. But when it comes to communicating who we are and why our work matters, narrative often succeeds where pure logic fails. Here’s why 👇🏽🧵

Check out this wonderful article about @ebonyt_phd’s new comic! ‘Crash Cart' Brings the Heartbeat of the ER to Comics blackgirlnerds.com/crash-cart-b...

So proud of my wife @ebonyt_phd — she just dropped her first comic! 🚨💜 Crash Cart follows an emergency nurse racing against time during a Code STEMI (a massive heart attack). It’s a powerful mix of science, art, and storytelling. m.webtoons.com/en/canvas/cr... #Comics #EmergencyNursing

Please help me reach my fundraising goals for the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon! fundraisers.nyrr.org/etiennetouss...

Your words carry weight. But they can’t make an impact if they stay hidden. Put them out there. Share the link. Let people know what you’re building. Because someone out there needs to hear it. And they can’t if you keep it to yourself.

A poem written in response to the “Rocky Road to Dublin” scene in Ryan Coogler’s film, Sinners. Here’s to the breaking and the cypher. open.substack.com/pub/freedomp...

+ @bcgl.bsky.social & @longreads.com @saulelbein.bsky.social @mollytempleton.com & @reactorsff.bsky.social @bcdreyer.social @etiennetoussaint.bsky.social @chrisyogerst.com @ruthjoffre.bsky.social & @bwdr.bsky.social @drdiongeorgiou.bsky.social @silaslapham.bsky.social & many more! +

Had a great time at Drexel’s inaugural Weaving It All Together: Hair, Health, Law, and Policy symposium this weekend. Huge thanks to Professor Wendy Greene for her vision and leadership in bringing us all together for this groundbreaking gathering. Truly an honor to be part of it

Please help me reach my fundraising goals for the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon! fundraisers.nyrr.org/etiennetouss...

A poem written in response to the “Rocky Road to Dublin” scene in Ryan Coogler’s film, Sinners. Here’s to the breaking and the cypher. open.substack.com/pub/freedomp...

Your words carry weight. But they can’t make an impact if they stay hidden. Put them out there. Share the link. Let people know what you’re building. Because someone out there needs to hear it. And they can’t if you keep it to yourself.

Most people never begin. They tell themselves the timing isn’t right. That the space is too crowded. That their voice won’t matter. But years from now, they’ll look back with regret, wishing they had started. You don’t have to be one of them. Begin today. your future self will thank you.

Share your writing. Your words matter, but they can only reach others if you put them out into the world. So, share your work. Share your ideas. Share your perspective, your creations, your voice. Because someone out there may be waiting for exactly what you have to say.

It always feels good to hold it in your hands. I love writing about the things I love writing about.

Starting the week strong! Help me raise money for the Urban Justice Center as I run the New York Marathon this November. fundraisers.nyrr.org/etiennetouss...

Stuck in endless drafts? Most legal scholars waste 60–80% of writing time because they build without a blueprint. My new guide, Law Review Launchpad, gives you a 6-step system to turn ideas into clear outlines & publishable articles. thetenuretrack.gumroad.com/l/aikclp

I’m writing a series of poems inspired by Ryan Coogler’s film, Sinners. This poem is about my father. I hope it means as much to you as it does to me. open.substack.com/pub/freedomp...

Chronic stress hands your career over to your amygdala. But you can take the controls back. Breathe. Delay your response. Decide where your mental energy goes. It’s time to take back control. Full article here: www.thetenuretrack.com/p/your-brain...

You know the feeling. Another rejection email. A colleague’s offhand comment. A peer’s big publication announcement. Suddenly you’re doom-scrolling, second-guessing everything, and that draft article? Forgotten. What’s happening isn’t weakness. It’s neuroscience.🧵⤵️

Stuck in endless drafts? Most legal scholars waste 60–80% of writing time because they build without a blueprint. My new guide, Law Review Launchpad, gives you a 6-step system to turn ideas into clear outlines & publishable articles. 👉https://thetenuretrack.gumroad.com/l/aikclp

Stuck in endless drafts? Most legal scholars waste 60–80% of writing time because they build without a blueprint. My new guide, Law Review Launchpad, gives you a 6-step system to turn ideas into clear outlines & publishable articles. 👉https://thetenuretrack.gumroad.com/l/aikclp

Stuck in endless drafts? Most legal scholars waste 60–80% of writing time because they build without a blueprint. My new guide, Law Review Launchpad, gives you a 6-step system to turn ideas into clear outlines & publishable articles. 👉https://thetenuretrack.gumroad.com/l/aikclp

+ @etiennetoussaint.bsky.social @meanlouise.bsky.social @drdiongeorgiou.bsky.social @kirkcurnutt.bsky.social & @cliocontemporary.bsky.social @collinsouter.bsky.social & @ebertvoices.bsky.social @gvaughnjoy.bsky.social & many more! Please share widely & enjoy, all!

Stuck in endless drafts? Most legal scholars waste 60–80% of writing time because they build without a blueprint. My new guide, Law Review Launchpad, gives you a 6-step system to turn ideas into clear outlines & publishable articles. 👉https://thetenuretrack.gumroad.com/l/aikclp

You know the feeling. Another rejection email. A colleague’s offhand comment. A peer’s big publication announcement. Suddenly you’re doom-scrolling, second-guessing everything, and that draft article? Forgotten. What’s happening isn’t weakness. It’s neuroscience.🧵⤵️

Thrilled to share my new piece in the Columbia Law Review: “Afrofuturism in Protest: Dissent and Revolution.” papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

First day of school vibes! Year nine as a full time law professor loading . . .

There’s no single “right” way to become a law professor. If you’d told me early in my career I’d be a tenured law professor, I would’ve laughed. Not because I didn’t value academia but because I didn’t even see it as an option for someone like me. 🧵⤵️

The Washington Post just published the names of more than 18,500 children in Gaza killed by Israel. www.washingtonpost.com/world/intera...

Hey y’all, I’m Etienne! I’m a law professor, writer, and private law scholar. I study how poverty, food insecurity, and environmental injustice are shaped by private law and racial capitalism. I’m also into African American literature, Afrofuturism, the Black radical tradition, and legal history

FREE webinar July 30th. Join me to learn how to become a law professor! I’ll cover qualifications, building your profile, AALS hiring, and thriving in academia. Save your spot: j.st/5bmM #LegalAcademia #LawProf

Eleven years ago, I smiled for a photo in front of the Dome of the Rock. I was a Christian pilgrim, seeking the sacred. But just outside the frame were checkpoints, armed soldiers, and the brutal architecture of occupation. I didn’t see it then. I see it now. 🧵⤵️