I. Introduction 

II. History of Tenure in American Higher Education

1. Origins of Tenure in the United States
2. The AAUP
3. The American Bar Association
4. Current Tenure Statistics

III. The Branham Decision

1. The Sixth Circuit’s Analysis in Branham
2. The Correct Analysis of Professors’ Tenure Rights
3. The Correct Interpretation of Branham’s Tenure Rights

IV. The Implications of the Branham Decision

V. Contemporary Thoughts on Academic Tenure

VI. Conclusion