Professor Laura Rothstein chosen for Alumni Council’s Teaching Award

Professor Laura Rothstein will receive the Alumni Council Teaching Award this year. The award is given to a professor suggested by the Law School dean and approved by the Alumni Council.

“Professor Rothstein cares deeply about her students. She often incorporates innovative methods into her classes and recently developed an interdisciplinary class, Poverty Health and the Law, that was extremely well received. Even after many years of teaching, she still seems so excited to get back into the classroom every year. This honor is well deserved,” said Dean Susan Duncan.

Professor Rothstein is a Distinguished University Scholar who joined the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law as Professor of Law and Dean in 2000 (serving as dean until 2005).

During her 39 years in legal education, she has written 15 books and dozens of book chapters, articles, and other works on disability discrimination, covering a broad range of issues, with an emphasis on disability discrimination in higher education. In addition to her work in disability law, she has worked to promote racial and gender diversity within legal education and the legal profession.

She has also served in numerous leadership roles within legal education and is an elected member of the American Law Institute.

In the fall, Professor Rothstein is volunteering to teach a flex course on special education for both students and community leaders and attorneys. She also recently helped design student learning outcomes and assessment methods aimed at improving student learning.

Dean Duncan strongly considered student evaluations for her nomination. Among the comments students submitted:

• "Professor Rothstein is a passionate advocate for those without a voice. That passion bleeds into the classroom and makes for an engaging experience as a law student in a class that is ordinarily not taught in law schools. I would recommend her."
• "Excellent. Superb. One of the best at Brandeis."
• "I think she did a good job teaching a subject that can be very difficult to grasp."
• "Professor Rothstein is excellent. She really does a good job of bringing in real world examples."

Professor Rothstein will be formally honored with this award at the 2015 Alumni Awards Luncheon in the fall. More information to follow soon.