Law school benefactor resigns from its executive board to protest surprising news of dean’s ouster

The longtime dean of Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law will be out the job in May, a decision that comes as a surprise to some members of the law school’s executive board. Law dean John Attanasio learned in mid-December that his contract will not be renewed when it…

Jan 15, 2013 2:11 PM CST

No more 3Ls? Proposal would let law students skip their third year

A law professor who says two years of law school is sufficient preparation for the bar exam is getting a serious hearing for his idea. New York University law professor Samuel Estreicher is proposing that New York change its bar exam requirement to allow students to take the test after…

Jan 14, 2013 12:00 PM CST

Citing Karma Concept, Adjunct Law Prof Opens His Home to Second Homeless Family

Last January, Los Angeles lawyer Tony Tolbert decided to give back to society by moving out of his home. The new occupants—a woman and her children living at a domestic violence shelter—paid only $1 for a month for their one-year stay, the Los Angeles Times reports. Tolbert didn’t know the…

Jan 7, 2013 11:29 AM CST

Law Prof Sees Profit Motive in Obesity Fight, Cites New Study on Mortality Risk

The U.S. government has classified nearly seven out of 10 American adults as overweight or obese, a statistic that is “exaggerated and unscientific,” according to a University of Colorado law professor. As proof, law professor Paul Campos points to a new study of nearly 3 million people examining the relationship…

Jan 3, 2013 1:46 PM CST

Law Prof Who Urged Abandoning the Constitution Gets Abusive and Threatening Emails

The op-ed by Georgetown law professor Louis Michael Seidman was provocative and, apparently, anger-inducing. Writing in the Sunday New York Times, Seidman said it was time to abandon the U.S. Constitution and its “archaic, idiosyncratic and downright evil provisions.” “As someone who has taught constitutional law for almost 40 years,…

Jan 3, 2013 1:10 PM CST

Do Footnoted Allegations of Vegetarian Bias Amount to Defamation? Suit Targets Law Review Article

A law professor who wrote a law review article on gender-stereotyping theory has been sued for alleged defamation over a footnoted case study he used involving a claim of vegetarian bias. The defendant, employment law professor Zachary Kramer, is now associate dean for intellectual life at Arizona State University’s Sandra…

Jan 3, 2013 11:30 AM CST

Should Public Policy Favor Inclusion When It Comes to Bar Admissions?

Jan 1, 2013 10:49 AM CST

Law Prof Says Bah Humbug to Scrooge Detractors

The unredeemed Ebenezer Scrooge wasn’t a bad guy, according to some free-market advocates. After all, he was a responsible adult and good businessman who paid a market wage, no more no less, and was the only productive member of his family. Capital University law professor David Mayer is among those…

Dec 21, 2012 6:41 PM CST

Law Profs Suggest Another Explanation for Lower Crime Rate: Ubiquitous Cellphones

Researchers pondering the reason for a one-third drop in the crime rate during the 1990s have suggested a number of reasons why. Perhaps the drop was because of more police on the street, they argued, or more criminals in prison, or changes in the market for crack cocaine. Or maybe…

Dec 19, 2012 11:30 AM CST

Report: Law Prof, Other Critics Complain About DOJ Approach to ‘Too Big to Jail’ Bank Crimes

A record settlement of $1.9 billion with HSBC that was announced earlier this month as result of a federal money-laundering probe against the United Kingdom-based bank was hailed by some as a sign that the justice system is working. But others don’t see much benefit in the pact with a…

Dec 18, 2012 7:04 PM CST

Georgetown Law Prof Sees Fiscal Cliff as Lesser Evil

Georgetown law professor David Super isn’t optimistic that a compromise to avert the fiscal cliff will be good for the nation. Going over the cliff is the better alternative, Super writes in a New York Times op-ed. “If we are going to have radical deficit reduction, the fiscal cliff may…

Dec 18, 2012 12:34 PM CST

Law Profs Defend Unusual Electives on Disputes from the Icelandic Age, Autonomous Driving

A new emphasis on practical law school classes is increasing focus on quirky course offerings. The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) takes a look at a few of them. At the University of California at Berkeley, law students practice deep breathing while learning the Chinese practice of Qi Gong. At…

Dec 18, 2012 11:30 AM CST

Fiscal Calamity Ahead for Some Law Schools? Applicants for 2013 Drop 22% in ‘Free Fall’

Law school applications are in “something like free fall,” according to a blogging law professor who sees trouble ahead for some schools as a result. As of Dec. 7, applicants for the fall of 2013 are down 22.4 percent from last year at this time, and applications are down 24.6…

Dec 17, 2012 12:00 PM CST

Trial Lawyer Does Double Duty as SLU Law Dean While Winning $25M in Settlements

Some might find working either as a law school dean or a busy plaintiffs’ lawyer a more than full-time job. Tom Keefe Jr. is doing both. Temporarily at the helm of the law school at St. Louis University after his predecessor resigned suddenly in the midst of a dispute with…

Dec 12, 2012 9:09 PM CST

UT Law Prof Surmises Single Parenthood Spurs Lower Test Scores for Blacks

A University of Texas law professor is sparking controversy for his remarks about single parenthood in the black community and his assessment of a radio interviewer’s intelligence. BBC Radio interviewed law professor Lino Graglia as part of its series on affirmative action in America. Graglia said fewer blacks were admitted…

Dec 12, 2012 1:41 PM CST