About Virginia's Faculty

When National Jurist magazine asked law students around the country what characteristics they deemed most important when evaluating a law school, they invariably cited the quality of teaching and faculty-student relations. In that survey and numerous others, Virginia's faculty is in the top rank of law schools.

The Law School considers the study of law not only as preparation for a professional career, but also as a separate intellectual discipline worthy of the broadest sort of scholarly inquiry and reflection. The faculty represents an exceptional diversity of interests and includes leading scholars and acknowledged experts in all aspects of public and private law, both U.S. and international. Reflecting the Law School’s emphasis on the interdisciplinary study of law, a number of faculty also hold doctoral degrees in a variety of related fields, including economics, history, philosophy, psychology, and medicine. The faculty is enriched each year by visitors from other leading law schools here and abroad, as well as by new regular faculty appointees at both junior and senior levels. This infusion of new teaching and scholarly talents adds freshness and vitality to the School of Law community.

Beyond the Law Grounds, faculty members are engaged by law firms, corporations, and government agencies as consultants. They share their expertise with U.S. congressional panels debating proposed federal laws, with foreign governments drafting new constitutions, and with federal judges trying to understand developments at the forefront of the law. They engage generously in pro bono work, and are active in the local community, in professional organizations, and in service to the Commonwealth of Virginia.