University of Chicago Law School Dean To Step Down
Hello, job seekers. There will soon be an opening at the University of Chicago Law School. Dean Saul Levmore circulated an e-mail to the school yesterday announcing his decision to step down. Here’s an excerpt from the e-mail (which is reprinted in full, after the jump):
I have long said that eight years is about the longest a dean should serve, and I am now in that eighth year. Consequently, President Zimmer will soon ask a faculty committee at the Law School to begin the search process for a new Dean.
Chicago joins a host of law schools currently searching for deans, as we noted recently in our post on Dean Harold Koh possibly leaving Yale. Dean Levmore says he plans to “resume life as a full-time member of the faculty” (of which his wife, Julie Roin, is a part).
Dean Levmore’s departure is completely voluntary, according to one Chicago source with a favorable view of Levmore’s tenure. As for his successor, a few U of C alums we spoke with are hoping for a prominent conservative from the outside with strong Chicago ties (e.g., prior service on the faculty).
Since we can’t predict the future, let’s take a moment to look back on some of Levmore’s past appearances on Above The Law:
What else do you consider to be part of the Levmore legacy at the University of Chicago? Feel free to discuss in the comments.
E-MAIL FROM UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO LAW SCHOOL DEAN SAUL LEVMORE
Dear Colleagues and Members of Our Community,
I have long said that eight years is about the longest a dean should serve, and I am now in that eighth year. Consequently, President Zimmer will soon ask a faculty committee at the Law School to begin the search process for a new Dean. In making this announcement now, the President, the Provost, and I allow the Law School ample time to search for its next Dean. The likely starting date would be in the Summer of 2010, but I stand ready to end my term as dean before then if the law faculty, President, and Trustees find their next agent quickly. Between now and then, there is much to do, and I promise my full energy to the initiatives underway as well as to new ideas for the improvement of a place that has never stood still despite its greatness. I do, however, look forward to resuming life as a full-time member of the faculty, embarking on other adventures, and teaching and writing about new interests.
It is all too common in these announcements to list the buildings renovated, the capital campaigns completed, the faculty hired, and the programs launched. We should be proud of such things, but I prefer to associate myself with the terrific and important work done by faculty colleagues and with the great students who have blossomed here during my time as dean. Ours is a Law School that cannot possibly be accused of simply giving its stamp of approval to talented inputs, and we should take special pride in the value we have added as a community to the people and ideas that pass through here.
Saul Levmore
University of Chicago Law School
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Dean Koh to State Department?
(74) Comments
Comments
First. More Urkel references please.
Leiter goes to Chicago, the dean quits.
Coincidence? I think not.
This cements UoC's new reputation as the 2nd best law school in Chicago.
this is excellent news...for michigan's ranking. michigan to #6!
-nervous T-10 1L
soon to be nervous 1L sa
Was Levmore well liked at Chicago? Did recent faculty departures factor into his decision to step aside?
let it be known to all law school deans: this is what happens when you hire brian leiter!
Dean Levmore did a great job in his 8 years. No way he could've prevented any of those professors from leaving to Harvard. Chicago's role has always been to recruit new, up-and-coming faculty, get them to publish like crazy, and then wish them well when they want to become deadwood at Harvard. Dean Levmore kept that going well.
And the guy's hilarious.
Number 3, you wish UofC was anything but the BEST law school in Chicago.
LEVMORE YOUR ASS GOT THE STONE COLD STUNNER!! D.T.A. YA SONOFABITCH!!
Number 3 = Northwestern troll
What about faculty leaving for New York or California?
What is a Brian Leiter?
10: 3 here. Actually, I went to Loyola.
Levmore is a great prof, but he seems like a mediocre administrator and I'm glad he is stepping down. Since he's been Dean we've been losing ground in USNews, losing faculty and losing our clerkship superiority. While I can't lay all of the blame at his door for it, it will be nice to get new blood in here. I just hope that they find a new Dean soon and he steps down before I leave.
U of C 2L
This would never happen at UVA.
4 more years! 4 more years! 4 more years!
This is great news - FOR LEITER !!!!!!!!!
I'm confused. I was told that UChicago Law had already dissolved. Not true?
I don't know why Chicago students think anything will get better. Will any replacement be smarter than Levmore? No. He should get mad credit for keeping Chicago's head above water.
On the other hand, maybe Eugene Volokh would like to be dean. Chicago does have the biggest faculty blog.
People in Texas treat each other with class and respect.
Everyone really likes Leiter in his evidence class. It's kind of odd how well liked he is as a teacher. Even for Chicago.
Levmore to Cardozo!
Brian Leiter has a nice rack.
Draft Marcus Cole!
23 = Brian Leiter
I am offended by this post. Please moderate.
Dear Eugue Volokh,
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to rub shoulders with Posner and Easterbrook? Have you ever wanted to be at a school with an unfounded conservative reputation? Have you ever longed for the power and control that can only come from being dean? Well now is your chance!
Come to Chicago and you will lead a much more intelligent group of law students back to their rightful place in the rankings, and beyond! You'll get complete credit for restoring Chicago as a conservative powerhouse! And most importantly, you'll get to live in glamorous, well-weathered Chicago! Woohoo!
So, Eugene, please call President Zimmer in the next couple of weeks. We'll be waiting.
Sincerely,
The University of Chicago Law School
Al Leiter has a slightly less impressive rack.
Agreed, Volokh for Dean!
U of C 2L
Levmore was instrumental in creating a T5 for law schools in place of the old T6.
"I'll stay as long as u'll have me. Or at least until the summer of 2010."
Levmore was a polarizing figure among the faculty at Chicago. As a student, I felt he did a great job of selling the school as a place of unusual rigor and intellectual curiosity.
I thought he was hilarious, competent and smart. I know many disagreed with him, but I, 4 1, will b sad 2 c him go.
31, hilarious end of your statement. All other sentences in perfect prose, but evidently the last sentence was written on a blackberry. Good switchover.
27 - NICE.
Not one sandwich was stolen on his watch. Unlike at Michigan.
This is obvious fallout from the Cooley rankings. Obviously, Chicago being #4 in Chicago was a blow. Time to find a dean who will focus on increasing the number of seats in the library.
U of C students had about as much disdain for Levmore as he did towards everyone else. The few posts on here that say otherwise are only representative of the gunners who give U of C a bad reputation for social misfits. He was a pompous jerk, and unlike most pompous jerks in the law, he couldn't even fake caring about anything other than himself.
He's presided over UofC's worst ever decline in USN rankings... what else can you say?
Here's to getting the wireless back in 2010!
Chicago slipped to #6 in USNWR under Fischel in 1999, and has been there ever since, apart from last year's fluke of #7 when Berkeley faked the employment stats. Word is that the result this year will be very different.
Leiter is a good prof, had him for evidence at Chicago. His exam was multiple choice and had the most random/stupid grade distribution I've ever seen in LS, though.
Levmore is either loved or hated, depending on whether you had Torts 1L year with him or not.
Levmore clearly made 36 cry once. What's a matter, buddy? Did you bring up duty?
Chicago STAAATE!!! CHICAGO STATE!!! Chicago STAAATE!!! CHICAGO STATE!!!Chicago STAAATE!!! CHICAGO STATE!!!Chicago STAAATE!!! CHICAGO STATE!!!Chicago STAAATE!!! CHICAGO STATE!!!Chicago STAAATE!!! CHICAGO STATE!!!Chicago STAAATE!!! CHICAGO STATE!!!Chicago STAAATE!!! CHICAGO STATE!!!Chicago STAAATE!!! CHICAGO STATE!!!Chicago STAAATE!!! CHICAGO STATE!!!Chicago STAAATE!!! CHICAGO STATE!!!Chicago STAAATE!!! CHICAGO STATE!!!
Good riddance. I only wish he would get out of here sooner.
The guy brought in a ton of money, and fixed up the law school. Now that we are in End Times with the economy, it is time to move the focus back to scholarship.
Kids I went to highs school with used to leave after 8 years. It was no big deal.
#40 is obviously full of crap. Leiter is teaching Evidence at Chicago for the first time right now. So that final must have incorporated a DeLorean and some plutonium. Idiot.
And, despite his school's professed commitment to the infallible wisdom of free markets, Levmore openly criticized Northwestern for introducing its accelerated J.D. program. Talk about hypocricy.
46- Will the DeLorean go back to 2006, when he visited and taught Evidence?
47, the free market has no issue with criticism. He said it was irresponsible of northwestern, not that it shouldn't be allowed.
My favorite memory comes from my 3L year. I was the recipient of scholarship that was being presented at an awards luncheon. Of the 12 scholarship recipients, from many different law schools, I was the only student to be introduced by the Dean of Students. While every other recipient was introduced by the head Dean of their respective law schools, Levmore told me (via email) that he had a conflict and couldn't attend. Fine. Then, as I was leaving the scholarship lunch, which was attended by numerous UofC alumni, Levmore was waiting in the lobby of the hotel to schmooze with the alumni. He walked right past me without acknowledging the award I had just received in order to talk to someone that I am quite certain was far more important. Classy guy.
this is good for chicago.
50: i'm no levmore fan, but isn't it possible that he in fact had a conflict during your lunch and headed over afterwards? as far as ignoring you, had you ever met face to face?
I'm a UofC 3L. I've never had a class with Levmore, but respect him both as an academic and as dean. The guy might come off as abrasive at times, but he's done a decent job and I'm sad to see him step down.
I wonder why so much vitriol is offered against Levmore and against the Uof C in general. If you applied and didn't get in then get over it. If you got in but chose to go elsewhere, why should you care? I don't bash Yale, Harvard, Iowa, or any other school that admitted me but I chose not to attend.
52- I saw him just about 10 minutes after he was supposed to have given my introduction. Perhaps the timing was that close, but I doubt it.
The point is not that I particularly care whether he introduced me or not, but that alumni (read $) always came before students in every possible situation. And he made sure that the students knew it.
This is 40, and I think 48 sufficiently put 46 in his/her place so that I do not need to respond to 46.
As an alum, I can concur from my personal experience: he sucks. From a teaching stand point he takes watered down economic concepts and wraps them up into theories that are neither novel nor particularly useful. I found his whole take on L&E and its application to law (which is his scholarship) to lack in novelty. Seriously. If you want to study L&E, try to get into a Posner seminar or cross list in the econ or business school department. It will be more interesting and you won't have to deal with the smarm.
Speaking of which: he needs to step down because he managed to piss off a fairly large share of the young alum base at Chicago. I could go on about what an ass hat this guy is but ATL has documented his stupidity when it comes to serving students' needs.
Good riddance.
16 -- I wonder who you are...
57: you have obviously never taken a Posner seminar.
"L&E and its application to law" -57
I guess I was wrong about what the L stood for.
Will this have a negative effect on 1L SA prospects? Sooo glad I haven't sent my deposit in yet...
-Nervous soon-to-be T-6 1L
I don't think he was a bad dean. He is kind of an ass, but we needed someone like that. The construction needed to be done, and money needed to be raised. He was good at getting those kind of things done. If we had another Baird or Stone (both great at the academic aspect of being dean) we would still be waiting on those things.
Who do chicago people think is next? As far as I can remember, u of c has never hired a dean in recent memory straight from the outside. Levmore had been on faculty a couple years, Baird, Fishcel, and Stone had all been on the faculty a long time, etc.
So on the current faculty, Strauss? McAdams? Even Harcourt?
Strahilevitz. That might prevent him from leaving and he would be a great dean.
Levmore's Torts is fairly Elements-y in the sense that he wants you to apply basic law and econ concepts like moral hazard to improbable fact patterns with multiple wrongdoers, design defects, and nuisance. I don't think it's an outrageous waste of anyone's time, but it's also a frustrating experience if you had Levmore in conjunction with someone like Vermule, who loves teaching traditional Torts law.
Levmore, in contrast, doesn't recognize duty (he thinks that you owe everyone a duty), or intentional torts (he thinks that negligence should envelop the field). I dunno. His idea that you can use Law and Econ to *predict* Torts cases, like mapping a unicorn constellation out of random stars. So far, most of the cases he's cited fit his ideas, but that's just the problem -- it's his ball-game, and he makes sure that the students know it. If you brought a different case, he would suggest it was wrongly decided, or argue with you, somewhat aggressively, in front of 90 of your peers. But I think he means well. He's a curious guy.
As a person, I can't judge Levmore, but I can say that the man's personality is unique. He is divisive, appealing to some people, and turning off others. He is always in your face. He loves to ask people hard questions that involve puzzles and/or social science. Whether that is a good quality in a dean is hard to judge, but I think that his fundraising and construction speak volumes. The US News rank speaks, perhaps, as loudly. I, for one, would be curious to hear someone else for a change. Maybe we'll miss him. Maybe we won't.
He's kind of like Bush.
Best wishes,
Chicago Law guy
What does Levmore leave behind? An utter contempt for the student body. He treats them as though they are a nuisance rather than the thing without which there would not be a school. He is one of the meanest-spirited people I have ever had the displeasure of encountering (and I say this as someone who got an A in his class). No matter who U of C finds, it will be in far better shape than it is now.
Strauss is not social enough for the position. Although he's intelligent and articulate, he's not as social or charming as Baird, Stone, or Levmore. I can't see his personality working for the position.
Strahi may be too young, but I think he has the right combination of social skills and academic reputation for the position. He's fairly prominent in the Property field, and I think he would attract funding.
McAdams would be an extension of Levmore, IMO. I mean that in an ambivalent, rather than mean-spirited, way.
Strahilivetz 4 Dean!
Levmore was definitely one of a kind. I remember he told me that he intentionally tried to piss off about half the students, because if everyone liked him then that meant he was pandering and not being honest about his opinions.
I think 8 years is a long time to be U of C dean and he probably got a little tired of the endless criticism and trying to win an arms race against YHS. He had some crazy theories about the world, but it was always interesting to be around him. He really lives and breathes academic inquiry, and he sees everything as an opportunity to test a theory. I think every U of C student would be well served with a quarter or two of his schtick, just like Epstein, Sunstein, Strauss, or the rest.
ok, at first I thought the talk of Strahi for dean was absurd... but then I thought about it. He's smart, social, respected, tenured, young but hardly inexperienced, and not an ass! He's also more into "modern" legal issues (privacy, technology, etc) and might bring the school into the 21st century academically. U of C... DO IT. i doubt any of the older profs, who haven't been dean yet, care to take the deanship... so it won't piss anyone off. Now if only the dean search committee trolls ATL comments for advice...
Fun fact: Lat and Strahi both graduated from YLS in 1999. I heard from a reputable source that they were friends, or at least on friendly terms.
It's either Strahilevitz or Harcourt, maybe McAdams, but doesn't Strahi have young kids? And his research is just now making waves. We do have a lot of former profs that could maybe come back, that's for sure. Tracey Meares anyone? Vermeule? Hamburger?
I'd love to see Strahi get the nod. He's generally beloved by the current students and has done a great job as part of the hiring committee. Have any alumni come into contact with him and have any thoughts?
62 and 71 = Bernard Harcourt
As a U of C Law alum, I can say that, in short, Levmore is a fuckhead. (I've never commented before on an ATL post, but commenting on this seemed worth it.) He was, indeed, very funny in Torts, but eventually it became clear that he's a pompous egotistical asshole with a huge amount of disdain for students and most of the best faculty at the school. It is by no means a coincidence that we lost an amazing group of profs during his time at dean.
One need only look at his little "update" letter from last year - in which he said, no kidding, that Chicago shouldn't give financial aid because that would just attract students who want to be there for the money rather than the education - to see that the school is well rid of him. He is also, I think, almost single-handedly responsible for the departure of Vermeule, who was probably my favorite prof there.
And as for whether these views are widely shared, I can tell you they certainly are among my class.
Good riddance, and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.