Junior Faculty Awards and Prizes & Geezers

The other day I saw a news item which reported that an elderly man -- a relatively old man -- was taking legal action against 100 or so law schools for refusing to consider his application for employment. They refused to consider him, he claims, because he's old.


Although I haven't tried to do a legal analysis of this fellow's claim and I have no idea if he is as qualified as he claims to be, my first reaction -- like that of most of my colleagues, I assume -- is that this fellow's claim borders on the ridiculous, at least from the standpoint of common sense if not the law. However, now and then I wonder a bit if the fellow's claim is in fact ridiculous. (Perhaps this is because I am on the wrong side of the   young | not-young   divide.)


Being of this second mind, I wrote the following ("redacted") letter this morning:

Dear Professor XXXXX: 

Apart from being unqualified to to so, I have no wish to submit a paper for [XXX University's] "second annual Junior Faculty Business and Financial Law Workshop and Junior Faculty Scholarship Prizes." However, I wonder if the "overview" in the CFP should say that the "Workshop supports and recognizes the work of young [emphasis added] legal scholars" in various fields. Are all junior scholars young scholars? Even if the law permits you to do so, should [XXX University] limit participation in this event to young scholars or discourage participation by any geezers who also happen to be "junior scholars"? 

CFPs such as this one from [XXX University] are everywhere. I address my question to you just by chance. 

Sincerely yours, 

     Peter Tillers