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Chemerinsky Recalls Hiring, Firing, Rehiring at UC Irvine

Posted Sep 26, 2008 3:55 AM CST
By Molly McDonough

Constitutional law scholar Erwin Chemerinsky, who last year was recruited, hired, then publicly fired and run through the ringer before being hired again, describes the experience as "the most difficult of my life."

But Chemerinsky says that the ordeal that led to his installation as the first dean of the University of California Irvine has been overshadowed by the reception he's received from the the legal community, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Chemerinsky, well-known for his politically liberal viewpoints, was lured from Duke University to the Irvine post. But he had spent 20 years before that at the University of Southern California. It was the academic's ideology that last year caused Irvine's chancellor, Michael Drake, to waffle over his offer to hire Chemerinsky and rescind the deal. Drake later changed his mind and rehired Chemerinsky.

"I hope that once they get to know us they will see that we have a law school that has no ideology. We want a law school where all views are expressed," Chemerinsky is quoted saying.

Comments

1.

brad
Sep 26, 2008 7:42 AM CST

HAHAHAHAHAHAA.  Chemerinsky says “We want a law school where all views are expressed.”  When a ultra-lib says that, the only views that will be expressed are the liberal ones because the school will have no professors hired that will say anything otherwise.

Please.  The chancellor should have gone with his first gut instinct and hired someone else.

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2.

Walter
Sep 26, 2008 9:51 AM CST

The school will likely be left.  That’s great though.  Conservatives and libertarians have grown comfortable thriving in that kind of environment and Chem can still hire the most famous profs (who are almost all lefties too).  Win win!  Irvine Law will be in the top 30 by the time it graduates its first class.

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3.

Proud Anteater
Sep 26, 2008 12:08 PM CST

As an Irvine alum, I’m glad that Drake re-hired Chemerinsky.  He’s a brilliant scholar and he’s “liberal.”  From my experience (I go to a conservative law school), “liberals” are much more open to have a thriving forum for a wide-ranged discussion and welcome intelligent critiques.

Irvine is a CA “conservative” school closer to libertarianism than what is traditionally thought of.  The credentials and connections Chem has to offer will ensure that UCI will surpass Davis and Hastings within a decade.  Drake understands this, albeit grudgingly, and should let Chem do his thing so we as a society can benefit from another stellar law school.

Bravo.

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4.

John
Sep 29, 2008 2:35 PM CST

I am always befuddled at the liberal/conservative bias complaint about faculties.  I went to a school where there were plenty of liberal and conservative professors, and it had no bearing on the level dialogue in the classroom.  All the professors, regardless of their viewpoint, encouarged discussion.  The students who complained, had unrealistic expectations that their professor would suddenly abandon their own ideals to agree with them, despite the student’s lack of experience.  I think the lib/con debate is finger pointing for the point of sack of finger pointing.  Does it really matter that your Torts prof. disagrees with your stance on reform?  At our school exams were graded anonymously, so who gives a rip.  Sham controversy.

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