Erwin Chemerinsky

Erwin Chemerinsky, one of the country's best-known constitutional law experts, is a leading candidate to be the first dean of UC Irvine's Donald Bren School of Law, according to someone involved in the selection process. It is not known whether the school is still considering other candidates, but the university is expected to announce its choice in the next four weeks. Chemerinsky has been a professor at Duke University since 2004, after 21 years at the USC Law School.

In a showdown over academic freedom, a prominent legal scholar said Wednesday that UC Irvine's chancellor had succumbed to conservative political pressure in rescinding his contract to head the university's new law school, a charge the chancellor vehemently denied. Erwin Chemerinsky, a well-known liberal expert on constitutional law, said he had signed a contract Sept. 4, only to be told Tuesday by Chancellor Michael V.

For decades, UC Irvine has aspired to open Orange County's first top-flight law school, declaring it to be the university's glaring "missing piece." The effort was thrown into turmoil after UCI Chancellor Michael V. Drake abruptly dropped respected liberal scholar Erwin Chemerinsky as the school's first dean. Drake said he had lost confidence in the educator, in part, because of Chemerinsky's recent opinion articles that made him a "lightning rod," including a scathing rebuke of U.S. Atty. Gen.

Re "I made a management decision -- not an ideological or political one -- to rescind the job offer." Opinion, Sept. 14 The commentary by UC Irvine Chancellor Michael V. Drake on why he let Erwin Chemerinsky, a professor of law and political science at Duke University, go is so illogical it defies belief. Chemerinsky signed his contract on Sept. 4, and on Sept. 11, he was dumped.

UC Irvine officials on Friday were attempting to broker a deal to once again hire liberal scholar Erwin Chemerinsky as dean of its fledging law school, just three days after its chancellor set off a national furor by dumping him. Prominent Orange County attorney Tom Malcolm, a participant in high-level university discussions, said: "I think we are satisfied that if [UCI Chancellor Michael V.

It should have been a feel-good moment, reflecting all the admiration and respect that warmed the cross-country phone line Monday morning between the chancellor and the professor. That was clearly how they wanted it to be, UC Irvine Chancellor Michael Drake and Duke law professor Erwin Chemerinsky. All is well, they said, with both ecstatic that Chemerinsky, after being picked and un-picked to be the founding dean of UCI's law school, is now picked again. Ain't love grand?

Embattled UC Irvine Chancellor Michael V. Drake acknowledged that he had "bungled" last week in firing Erwin Chemerinsky as dean of the university's new law school and said he regretted the way he handled the matter. In an interview with The Times, Drake said he would not discuss why he rescinded his offer to Chemerinsky, an outspoken Duke University law professor and constitutional scholar, because it was a personnel matter that must be kept private.

When California Chief Justice Ronald M. George intervened in the search process for a dean for the new law school at UC Irvine, critics questioned the court's involvement. But legal scholars said last week that it is neither unusual nor unethical for high court judges to weigh in on candidates for public law schools, particularly when their views are sought. The Times reported Sept.

UC Irvine gave Orange County billionaire Donald Bren the right to be consulted in the selection of a dean for its new law school in return for his $20-million donation, according to documents released to The Times on Thursday. The eight-page gift agreement reveals the scope of what Bren received for his money, ranging from major matters such as selection of the dean to specific rules governing how prominently signs featuring his name were to be displayed on the campus.

One of Erwin Chemerinsky's jobs as dean of UC Irvine's new law school will be to create a reputation for legal scholarship for the school. But it's his other job -- chief fundraiser -- that will either make or break the fledgling school. Chemerinsky's challenge -- raising tens of millions of dollars to open the school in 2009, erect buildings and fund an endowment -- comes at a time of unprecedented fundraising in higher education, and for law schools in particular.