- Stephen R. McAllister, associate dean of the KU School of
Law, has been named the law school's new dean, Provost David
E. Shulenburger announced Dec. 27.
"There are very few individuals in the entire country who
can match his distinguished record of experience with the federal
and state judiciaries. I look forward to working with him in
the years ahead," Shulenburger said of McAllister.
KU Chancellor Robert E. Hemenway echoed those sentiments. "We
are very pleased to be able to hire such a distinguished faculty
member as Steve McAllister to be dean of the School of Law. The
future of the law school is in good hands," Hemenway said.
McAllister becomes law school dean effective July 1, 2000. He
will succeed current dean Michael H. Hoeflich, who will return
to teaching in the school.
After graduating from KU, McAllister served as a clerk for U.S.
Supreme Court justices Byron White and Clarence Thomas, and Judge
Richard Posner of the United States Court of Appeals for the
Seventh Circuit. He also was in private practice in the Washington,
D.C., office of the Los Angeles law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
before joining the KU law school faculty in 1993.
While at KU, McAllister has briefed and argued two Supreme Court
cases. He has brought Supreme Court justices Thomas, White and
Antonin Scalia to the campus for speaking engagements. He also
currently serves as Kansas' first state solicitor, working for
Attorney General Carla Stovall to monitor, supervise and participate
in important constitutional cases involving the state.
McAllister said his immediate goals as dean include finding new
ways to increase scholarship opportunities for law school students
and communicating the school's successes on a national level.
"I think we've got a very good law school here, but I don't
think we're as well known nationally as we should be," he
said. "It's a challenge that I'm eager to accept."
McAllister has published more than 20 academic articles, and
has two books currently under contract. His research interests
include the Eighth Amendment, affirmative action, federalism
and sex offender laws. He is a staunch supporter of Megan's Law,
which requires sex offenders to register with the state after
their release from prison. He teaches torts, constitutional law
and constitutional litigation, and supervises moot court activities
at KU. He regularly offers a freshman honors tutorial on the
Supreme Court and is a faculty adviser to the prestigious University
Scholars Program.
Earlier this year, he was named the law school's associate dean
for academic affairs and he was one of 20 KU faculty members
to receive a $5,000 William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching
Excellence.
Michael Davis, who served as dean of the school from 1980 to
1989, chaired the search committee. Committee members were Jill
Bachman, Student Bar Association president; Shelley Hickman Clark,
associate dean of law for administration; Jack Fincham, dean
of the School of Pharmacy; Stephen Mazza, associate professor
of law; Joyce McCray Pearson, law library director and associate
professor of law; Carol Prentice, assistant to the provost; Sidney
Shapiro, John Rounds Professor of Law; and Glee Smith, alumni
representative.
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