Federal Judge Levi to Lead Duke's Law School
Chief U.S. District Judge David F. Levi, a friend of the Davis School of Law, and a visiting professor during the spring semester, has been selected as the next dean of the Duke School of Law. According to the announcement issued by Duke, Levi will assume his new post July 1, 2007.
Citing Levi's leadership as chair of the Judicial Conference Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure and his service on numerous legal rules and oversight panels, Duke University Provost Peter Lange described Levi as "a leader with broad intellectual interests and a thoughtful, academic temperament." He said Levi was universally praised during the search process for his wisdom and judgment, his substantial administrative experience--the Eastern District has the highest weighted caseload per federal judge in the nation--and his deep understanding of, and connections within, the legal community.
Following graduation from Stanford Law School in 1980, Levi clerked for Judge Ben C. Duniway of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and then for U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Lewis F. Powell. He joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California as a prosecutor in 1983 and was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District in 1986. As U.S. Attorney, Levi managed an office of more than 50 attorneys and supervised one of the largest public corruption investigations in California history, leading to the prosecution of several California state legislators for bribery and extortion.
In 1990, President George H. W. Bush appointed Levi as U.S. district judge. Levi became chief judge in May 2003.
Long recognized as a leader in legal reform, Levi was appointed by former Chief Justice William Rehnquist to the Advisory Committee on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure in 1994, and was appointed chair of that committee in 2000. In 2003, Rehnquist appointed Levi to chair the Judicial Conference Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure, which oversees all federal rule-making conducted by the Judicial Conference, the body charged with revising and crafting rules and practice for approval by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Levi was selected following an eight-month national search from among more than 200 candidates. He will be a second-generation law dean. His father, the late Edward H. Levi, served as dean of the University of Chicago Law School and then as that university's president, before being appointed by President Gerald Ford as U.S. Attorney General in 1975.
Sacramento Bee/January 4, 2007
Citing Levi's leadership as chair of the Judicial Conference Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure and his service on numerous legal rules and oversight panels, Duke University Provost Peter Lange described Levi as "a leader with broad intellectual interests and a thoughtful, academic temperament." He said Levi was universally praised during the search process for his wisdom and judgment, his substantial administrative experience--the Eastern District has the highest weighted caseload per federal judge in the nation--and his deep understanding of, and connections within, the legal community.
Following graduation from Stanford Law School in 1980, Levi clerked for Judge Ben C. Duniway of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and then for U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Lewis F. Powell. He joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California as a prosecutor in 1983 and was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District in 1986. As U.S. Attorney, Levi managed an office of more than 50 attorneys and supervised one of the largest public corruption investigations in California history, leading to the prosecution of several California state legislators for bribery and extortion.
In 1990, President George H. W. Bush appointed Levi as U.S. district judge. Levi became chief judge in May 2003.
Long recognized as a leader in legal reform, Levi was appointed by former Chief Justice William Rehnquist to the Advisory Committee on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure in 1994, and was appointed chair of that committee in 2000. In 2003, Rehnquist appointed Levi to chair the Judicial Conference Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure, which oversees all federal rule-making conducted by the Judicial Conference, the body charged with revising and crafting rules and practice for approval by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Levi was selected following an eight-month national search from among more than 200 candidates. He will be a second-generation law dean. His father, the late Edward H. Levi, served as dean of the University of Chicago Law School and then as that university's president, before being appointed by President Gerald Ford as U.S. Attorney General in 1975.
Sacramento Bee/January 4, 2007