Dean Treanor Named a 2012 "Champion" by The National Law Journal
July 9, 2012 —
Dean William Treanor
Georgetown University Law Center Dean William M. Treanor has been named to The National Law Journal's fifth annual list of "Champions & Visionaries" in the "Champions" category.
"It is a tremendous honor to be included on The National Law Journal’s list of 'Champions & Visionaries' along with so many distinguished members of the Washington legal community," said Treanor. "I deeply appreciate this recognition for myself and for Georgetown."
The 2012 "Champions & Visionaries" were selected by editors of The National Law Journal in recognition of "work that has helped advance the practice of law in Washington." Selections were based upon nominations from the legal community and the publication’s ongoing research and reporting. The "Champions" are defined as "those who have upheld the profession’s core values through public service, pro bono work and advocacy for civil liberties," while the "Visionaries" are "attorneys whose business foresight or legal acumen has expanded their firms, advanced the law or improved government."
In addition to Treanor, others on the 2012 list include Garvey Schubert Barer partner Harold Bailey Jr. (L’84) and Covington & Burling partner and Georgetown Law Adjunct Professor Robert Long in the "Champions" category. U.S. Magistrate Judge John Facciola (L'69), Akin Gump chairman and Georgetown Law board of visitors member R. Bruce McLean and former U.S. Solicitor General and Georgetown Law Visiting Professor Seth Waxman were selected in the "Visionaries" category.
In the accompanying profile published today, Treanor was recognized for his commitment to public service as a legal educator, as well as a lawyer in the Office of Independent Counsel probing the Iran/Contra investigation and in the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department.
The profile highlighted his academic career as dean of Georgetown Law and former dean of Fordham Law School and his research on the origins of judicial review and the scope of the "takings clause" of the Fifth Amendment that establishes the principle of eminent domain. It also referenced his inclusion as one of the 10 most-cited legal history scholars in the United States on a 2010 list compiled by the University of Chicago Law School’s Brian Leiter.
Treanor told the publication that his goals at Georgetown include balancing the teaching of legal theory with practice-based courses and capitalizing on the school’s proximity to government. "What we’re about is educating the whole person," he said. "It’s not just about educating a technically skilled lawyer; it’s educating people for justice."
Treanor joined Georgetown Law in 2010 as executive vice president and dean of the Law Center. He came to Georgetown from Fordham Law, where he had been dean since 2002 and a faculty member since 1991. He has also been a visiting professor at the Sorbonne. He is an expert in constitutional law, criminal law and procedure, intellectual property and legal history. He has published widely, with a focus in constitutional law and legal history.
Treanor served as deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice from 1998 to 2001. He was associate counsel in the Office of Independent Counsel during the Iran/Contra investigation. In 1990, he served as a special assistant U.S. attorney for the Misdemeanor Trial Unit at the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. He was also a law clerk for Judge James L. Oakes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit in Vermont.
