KU News Release

Richard Levy selected for distinguished professorship in constitutional law at KU

LAWRENCE — Richard E. Levy has been selected as the first J.B. Smith Distinguished Professor in Constitutional Law at the University of Kansas.

Levy joined the KU law school’s faculty in 1985. Levy teaches administrative law, constitutional law and legislation. He runs the Legislative Clinic and Public Policy Clinic.

“Since joining the faculty, he has distinguished himself in every way possible, as a scholar and teacher, as a mentor to students and as an engaged and supportive faculty colleague,” said Gail Agrawal, dean of the law school.

Levy’s academic areas of focus are governmental institutions, federalism, legislation, the legislative process, judicial review of administrative agencies, comparative constitutional law and legal systems. He is recognized as one of the nation’s leading authorities on the intersection between constitutional and administrative law. He was a Postlethwaite Research Scholar from 1996 to 1999.

Levy is president-elect of KU’s Faculty Senate and is regularly called upon by the practicing bar, state agencies, Kansas Legislature and central university for assistance in his areas of expertise.

Levy received his law degree from the University of Chicago in 1984 and was a law clerk to Judge Richard Posner of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from 1984 to 1985. He studied in Germany and was an exchange professor at the University of Vienna. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from KU.

Levy’s nomination for the distinguished professorship was approved by a unanimous vote of the law faculty and unanimously supported by the university’s Distinguished Professors Committee.

The professorship was established by Art Piculell, who graduated from KU’s law school in 1965, and his wife, Dee, in honor of Art Piculell’s constitutional law professor, the late J.B. Smith.

-30-

The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.