Dr. Michael Hunter Schwartz, University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law dean, has garnered national recognition in several significant ways.

Dean Schwartz is one of 50 nominees for the award of National Jurist Magazine’s “The 25 Most Influential People in Legal Education.”

The nomination highlights several achievements including Schwartz’s publication of numerous books relating to best practices in law teaching and learning, particularly “What the Best Law Teachers Do,” published by Harvard University Press.

Schwartz’s nomination also stems from the cutting-edge law school textbook series that he created and edits.

The series has already resulted in 20 textbooks authored by law professors from across the country, representing such institutions as the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of Wisconsin, and the College of William & Mary.

The nomination also noted the more than 175 presentations Dean Schwartz has made at law schools and conferences throughout the U.S. and to law professors from Chile, the Republic of Georgia, Germany, Iran, and Turkey, as well as the changes being made at the Bowen School of Law.

In addition, “What the Best Law Teachers Do” was the subject of a multi-article special report published Sept. 29 by the National Law Journal on “How to Build a Better Law Professor.” The weekly newspaper is distributed to lawyers and law professors throughout the country.

Dean Schwartz and his co-authors, Professor Sophie Sparrow of the University of New Hampshire School of Law and Professor Gerry Hess of Gonzaga University School of Law, were interviewed for the report.

A list of everyone the authors studied, and a summary of the key points in the book, were highlighted. Two of the law professors studied by the book’s authors were also interviewed and a third professor who was analyzed for the book contributed an article, which was also included in the report.

“What the Best Law Teachers Do” was the subject of a conference this summer at Northwestern University Law School and will be featured in a forthcoming conference at UCLA which will focus on five law professors highlighted in the book.

Most recently, Dean Schwartz was an invited speaker at Duke University School of Law on the topic of teaching and learning theory on Oct. 28.

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