Paul A. Bateman

Professor of Legal Analysis, Writing, and Skills Emeritus

Professor Paul Bateman

B.A., English, University of Nevada, 1971 
M.A., English, Western Illinois University, 1974 
Ph.D., English, Kent State University, 1986
Phi Kappa Phi

Email

A strong advocate for clear writing, Paul Bateman began his teaching career at Western Illinois University and Kent State University where he taught English literature and writing, and was the recipient of a research grant from both the Center for Bibliography and Scholarly Editing and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He was appointed to the Legal Research and Writing faculty at Southwestern in 1981, and was the principal designer of the law school's Academic Support Program, serving as its director from 1992 to 2010.

"I have seen first-hand how judges scrutinize lawyer's documents, so I can convey that aspect of reality to my law students."

One of the foremost experts in the field, Professor Bateman has also worked to encourage and strengthen academic support programs on a national level. A long-term member of the executive committee of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Academic Support Section, he served as chair of the Section in 2003. Professor Bateman has been a featured speaker for programs sponsored by the Law School Admission Council, the Modern Language Association, the Conference on College Composition and Communication, and the AALS Section on Legal Writing, Reasoning and Research.

As a member of the faculty of the National Judicial College at the University of Nevada, Professor Bateman frequently teaches opinion writing courses to state and foreign supreme court justices, as well as appellate, administrative and tribal judges. This in turn influences his approach to teaching at Southwestern.

Selected Achievements

Chair, Academic Assistance Workshop Planning Committee of the Law School Admissions Council, 2009

Member, Academic Assistance Workshops Planning Committee of the Law School Admissions Council, 2007-2008

Chair, AALS Section on Academic Support, 2003

Member, Executive Committee, Section on Academic Support, Association of American Law Schools, 1999-2001