Why is this man smiling? Because he just got a job offer worth more than $205,000 to become Dean of the UCI Law School
Unabashed liberal and curent Duke Law Professor Erwin Chemerinsky has agreed to become the first Dean of the Donald Bren School of Law at the University of California at Irvine effective June 1, 2008. The law school is planning on opening it's doors in the 2009 academic year. This is a surprising result because late last week it was revealed that UCI Chancellor Michael Drake had rescinded a job offer to Chemerinsky after the publication of an Los Angeles Times op-ed by the law professor which criticized the death penalty process in California. Over the weekend, the Los Angeles Times reported that prior to dumping Chemerinsky from the post, Drake had received numerous calls from various Republicans upset about the uber-liberal receiving the job. One of those prominent Republicans protesting the appointment was Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court Ronald George who seemed particularly incensed by a point of law that appeared in the op-ed that Chemerinsky had written. The controversy flared hotter as the reasons for Drake, the only African American chancellor at a Universityof California school, appaeared to change daily. Drake had initially said that the reason he was rescinding the job offer was the difficullty of getting Chemerinsky's appointment as UCI Law School Dean through the University of California Regents. However, the Times interviewed several Regents who said that there had been no indication of any opposition on that body.
There have been calls for Chancellor Drake's resignation and it seems surprising that the two men will be able to work together amicably. I suspect by the time the law school does open it's doors in August 2009 Drake will not be Chancellor.
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