Seattle University School of Law welcomes Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic to faculty

Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, two of the country's most respected legal scholars who are widely recognized as experts in the area of race and the law, will join the faculty of Seattle University School of Law in fall 2008.

One of the most cited legal scholars in the nation, Delgado serves as the University Distinguished Professor of Law and Derrick Bell Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. His specialties are civil rights and critical race theory. Stefancic, his wife and frequent collaborator, is a research professor and Derrick Bell Scholar at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, specializing in civil rights and law and society.

“It is so exciting to welcome these two accomplished scholars to the Seattle University School of Law faculty,” Dean Kellye Testy said. “Their appointments are a testament to the law school's commitment to its twin goals of academic excellence and social justice, as well as its growing reputation for attracting top-notch faculty.”

One of the leading commentators on race in the United States, Delgado has appeared on “Good Morning America,” the “MacNeil-Lehrer Report,” PBS, NPR, the Fred Friendly Show and Canadian NPR. Author of more than 100 journal articles and 21 books, his work has been reviewed in The Nation, The New Republic, the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal. His books have won eight national book prizes, including six Gustavus Myers outstanding book awards, the American Library Association's Outstanding Academic Book, and a Pulitzer Prize nomination.

Stefancic writes about law reform, social change and legal scholarship. Her recent book, “How Lawyers Lose Their Way: A Profession Fails Its Creative Minds (2005),” examines the causes of lawyers’ unhappiness. Stefancic has written and co-authored numerous articles and 13 books, many with Delgado. Their book, “Critical White Studies: Looking Behind the Mirror,” won a Gustavus Myers award for outstanding book on human rights in North America in 1998. Stefancic and Delgado serve as editors emeriti for the NYU Press series “Critical America,” featuring more than 70 books on progressive legal and social thought.

“The university's and law school's mission and values – critical thought, concern for justice and attention to the individual student – converge with our own,” Delgado said.

Stefancic added, “We feel privileged to be able to continue our work in the midst of this vibrant community and look forward to many rewarding years at Seattle University School of Law.”

Both are serving as distinguished visiting scholars at the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics at the University of Oregon School of Law this semester.