From Chapman University
He's a constitutional scholar with a conservative viewpoint that had attracted considerable attention to his law school. He's been a frequent author of Op-Eds, a longtime and prominent intellectual voice on the right and recently has provided a philosophic foil to his Orange County liberal friend and fellow dean of the brand new UC law school down the road at Irvine. Now, though, John C. Eastman has heard the siren call of statewide politics. He's stepped down after three years as the law school dean, will remain on the faculty and will pursue, he has announced, a bid to become California Attorney General. There's a crowded early field, especially on the Democratic side, in the race to replace Jerry Brown, with at least one GOP legislator from Orange County contending. Eastman has deep conservative bona fides, as a University of Chicago law school grad, law clerk for Justice Clarence Thomas, Federalist Society member, director of the Claremont Institute's Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, editor of the Claremont Review of Books and co-author of works with Justice Antonin Scalia and Pepperdine prof and now U.S. envoy Douglas Kmiec. He's also jousted, in recent humorous fashion, with Irvine law dean Erwin Chemerinsky, brought vilified Bush administration lawyer John Yoo to Orange and been a frequent guest of right-yakker Hugh Hewitt. A faculty colleague will serve as interim dean as a national search is under way for Eastman's replacement.
Photo: law deans Chemerinsky , l, and Eastman enjoy a point in recent joust / Chapman University
As prominent conservative voice, dean had boosted attention for Orange law school
Comments