Professor Steve Miskinis to Join William & Mary Faculty as Professor of the Practice of Law
New Faculty Professor Steve Miskinis will join the faculty as a Professor of the Practice of Law beginning in the 2022-2023 academic year, pending approval by the Board of Visitors.
William & Mary Law School announced today that Professor Steve Miskinis will join the faculty as a Professor of the Practice of Law beginning in the 2022-2023 academic year, pending approval by the Board of Visitors. Most recently an Assistant Professor of Legal Writing at Penn State Law, Miskinis taught first-year legal writing, torts, and federal Indian law.
Miskinis earned a Ph.D. in English from Vanderbilt in 1994. He subsequently taught English composition and English literature courses at both Vanderbilt University and Virginia Tech. He later graduated magna cum laude from Duke Law School in 2000, where he also won awards for his pro bono service. After graduation, he clerked for Judge Rosemary Pooler on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
Miskinis then spent 19 years as a lawyer in the Department of Justice, where he practiced as a trial attorney in the Indian Resources Section of the Environmental Division. His work involved litigation in which the United States is either defending or promoting the interests and rights of federally recognized Tribes.
During his time with the DOJ, he earned numerous outstanding performance awards as well as the John Marshall Award for Outstanding Legal Achievement (the highest award a civil service attorney may achieve in the DOJ).
“We are thrilled to welcome Steve to our faculty,” said A. Benjamin Spencer, Dean of the Law School and Trustee Professor. “His high-level experience at the Department of Justice will enrich our curriculum and provide an excellent example for students who wish to pursue public service.”
At William & Mary, Miskinis will primarily teach legal writing. He will also add to curricular offerings in doctrinal classes that build on his extensive experience in the Indian Resources Section.
The William & Mary students who took part in the interview process were impressed with Miskinis’s experience and his desire to help students on their legal career path.
About William & Mary Law School
Thomas Jefferson founded William & Mary Law School in 1779 to train leaders for the new nation. Now in its third century, America’s first law school continues its historic mission of educating citizen lawyers who are prepared both to lead and to serve.