After former University of Houston Law Center Dean Nancy Rapaport resigned under pressure recently, a friend asked me who I thought the UH Law Center should hire as the new dean. My reply: “The best replacement is already on the faculty — Ray Nimmer.”
It appears that someone may have been listening.
Earlier this week, the University announced that Professor Nimmer — one of the most prolific legal minds in Texas — has been named interim dean of the UH Law Center.
Professor Nimmer is one of the nation’s leading authorities on business and bankruptcy law, computer information licensing, e-commerce, and related intellectual property issues, all of which are subjects that he has addressed in the 20 or so books and numerous articles that he has written over his superlative 30 year teaching career. Even more importantly, he is a gifted teacher who has taught a remarkably broad variety of courses at the UH Law Center, including Contracts, Contract Drafting, Evidence, Bankruptcy, Corporate Reorganization Law, Internet Law, Electronic Commerce, Secured Financing Law, Negotiable Instruments, Copyright Law, Information Law, Sales, and Licensing Law. Professor Nimmer’s blog is here, and he comments on his decision to accept the interim appointment here.
This is Professor Nimmer’s second stint as interim dean of the Law Center. Frankly, it’s highly unlikely that the search committee for a new dean will find a more-qualified candidate for the permanent dean position than Professor Nimmer. Here’s hoping that the search committee and the UH Board of Regents realize that and name this long-time treasure of Houston’s academic community as the new UH Law Center Dean.