Evan Caminker
Encyclopedia
Evan H. Caminker is Dean
of the University of Michigan Law School
. He succeeded Jeffrey S. Lehman
, who resigned to become president of Cornell University
. Caminker was appointed dean just as the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling upholding the constitutionality of the Law School's affirmative action
admissions policies, which had been challenged in a lawsuit filed by the Center for Individual Rights
.
Caminker earned a B.A. in political economy and environmental studies, summa cum laude, from the University of California-Los Angeles, and his law degree from Yale Law School
, where he was a senior editor
of the Yale Law Journal
. He clerked
for Judge William A. Norris
of the Ninth Circuit of Court of Appeals, and Justice William Brennan
of the United States Supreme Court. Prior to coming to the University of Michigan, Caminker was a faculty member at the UCLA School of Law
. He has practiced law with the Center for Law in the Public Interest in Los Angeles, and as a deputy assistant attorney general in the United States Department of Justice
. As a scholar, his research is focused on constitutional law and the nature of judicial decision making. Caminker describes his background in his early years as "a born-and-raised, beach volleyball-playing, suntan-searching Los Angelino."
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of the University of Michigan Law School
University of Michigan Law School
The University of Michigan Law School is the law school of the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Founded in 1859, the school has an enrollment of about 1,200 students, most of whom are seeking Juris Doctor or Master of Laws degrees, although the school also offers a Doctor of Juridical...
. He succeeded Jeffrey S. Lehman
Jeffrey S. Lehman
Jeffrey Sean Lehman is an American scholar, lawyer and academic administrator who is currently serving as the chancellor and founding dean of the Peking University School of Transnational Law in Shenzhen, China...
, who resigned to become president of Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
. Caminker was appointed dean just as the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling upholding the constitutionality of the Law School's affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
admissions policies, which had been challenged in a lawsuit filed by the Center for Individual Rights
Center for Individual Rights
The Center for Individual Rights is a non-profit public interest law firm in the United States. Based in Washington, D.C., the firm is "dedicated to the defense of individual liberties against the increasingly aggressive and unchecked authority of federal and state governments." The Center is...
.
Caminker earned a B.A. in political economy and environmental studies, summa cum laude, from the University of California-Los Angeles, and his law degree from Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
, where he was a senior editor
Law review
A law review is a scholarly journal focusing on legal issues, normally published by an organization of students at a law school or through a bar association...
of the Yale Law Journal
Yale Law Journal
The Yale Law Journal is a student-run law review affiliated with the Yale Law School. Published continuously since 1891, it is the most widely known of the eight law reviews published by students at Yale Law School...
. He clerked
Law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
for Judge William A. Norris
William Albert Norris
William Albert Norris was a judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Norris was nominated for the position by Jimmy Carter on February 27, 1980 after the seat which Walter Raleigh Ely, Jr. had occupied became vacant. After being confirmed by the senate in June, 1980, he...
of the Ninth Circuit of Court of Appeals, and Justice William Brennan
William J. Brennan, Jr.
William Joseph Brennan, Jr. was an American jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1956 to 1990...
of the United States Supreme Court. Prior to coming to the University of Michigan, Caminker was a faculty member at the UCLA School of Law
UCLA School of Law
The UCLA School of Law is the law school of the University of California, Los Angeles. It has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1950. It joined the Association of American Law Schools in 1952.- History :...
. He has practiced law with the Center for Law in the Public Interest in Los Angeles, and as a deputy assistant attorney general in the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
. As a scholar, his research is focused on constitutional law and the nature of judicial decision making. Caminker describes his background in his early years as "a born-and-raised, beach volleyball-playing, suntan-searching Los Angelino."