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USD Law Appoints Inaugural Lawrence Irving Distinguished Senior Teaching Fellow

San Diego (January 25, 2011) – The University of San Diego (USD) School of Law announced today the appointment of Professor Mark Lee as the inaugural Lawrence Irving Distinguished Senior Teaching Fellow.

The five-year appointment has been made possible through the generous support of a donor who wishes to remain anonymous. The new position is named in honor of Irving, who currently serves as a widely respected legal mediator and previously served on the federal bench and as an outstanding trial lawyer.

"It is wonderful to have an opportunity to recognize the distinguished career of Judge Irving," says Dean Kevin Cole, “and doing so through the appointment of Professor Lee is doubly satisfying. Mark is an extremely talented teacher."

Professor Lee's appointment begins in August 2011. He will teach classes such as criminal law; corporations; agency, partnerships & LLC; and law & economics.

About Judge Irving

Judge Irving began his legal career in San Diego at the firm of Higgs, Fletcher & Mack before founding his own firms. He was appointed to the federal bench in 1982 by President Reagan, resigning in 1990 because of his disapproval of certain federal mandatory-minimum sentencing laws that he felt would require him to impose excessive sentences. Since then, he has served as a mediator in many significant legal matters, including the Enron litigation.

A fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Bar Foundation, Judge Irving chaired judicial screening committees for Gov. Pete Wilson and Sen. Barbara Boxer. He was recognized for his judicial service with awards from the FBI and the ACLU. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Southern California.

About Mark Lee

Professor Lee has been a regular visiting professor at USD School of Law since 1990. He has also taught at Georgetown University, University of Colorado, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Miami, St. Louis University, American University, and Gonzaga University, and at several universities in Europe: the University of Salerno, the University of Macerata, Erlangen-Nürnberg University (courtesy of a Fulbright), Katholieke Universiteit Brussel (courtesy of the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research), and the University of Warwick. At Southern Illinois University, where he holds tenure, Lee regularly teaches criminal law; corporations; agency, partnership & LLC; securities regulation; antitrust; and law & economics.

In addition to teaching, Professor Lee serves as a consulting attorney in business organization, securities, antitrust and regulatory matters, as well as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. His publications include Organizing Corporate & Other Business Enterprises (6th ed., LexisNexis 2000 with annual supplements) (with L. Gross) and Antitrust Law and Local Government (Greenwood Press 1985). Before entering academe in 1976, Professor Lee practiced for the United States Department of Justice and the Attorney General of Texas. He obtained his law degree with high honors from the University of Texas and his BA in Political Science from Yale University.

About the University of San Diego School of Law

The University of San Diego School of Law is a center of academic excellence focused on preparing its students for legal practice in the new century. One of the most selective law schools in the country, USD’s nationally recognized faculty create a demanding, yet welcoming environment that emphasizes individualized education. USD School of Law graduates consistently score higher than the state average on the California Bar Exam and go on to practice law throughout the country and abroad, forming an influential network of alumni. USD is one of only 81 law schools in the country to have a chapter of the Order of the Coif, the most distinguished rank of American law schools. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1954, the law school is part of the University of San Diego, a private, nonprofit, independent, Roman Catholic university chartered in 1949.