About
Melissa Weresh is the Dwight D. Opperman Distinguished Professor of Law and Herb and Karen Baum Chair of Ethics in the Profession at Drake University Law School. She has been a professor there since 1997, previously serving as an associate attorney at Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs. Her expertise spans legal writing, appellate advocacy, environmental law, and professional ethics. Weresh holds a JD from the University of Iowa College of Law (Order of the Coif, Law Review) and a BA from Wake Forest University (summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa).
Her research focuses on legal education reform, gender equity in academia, and professional responsibility. Notable publications include analyses of ABA accreditation standards, hidden curricula in legal education, and the intersection of classical rhetoric with modern legal praxis. She has received significant accolades including the Thomas F. Blackwell Award (2017) and Warren E. Burger Prize (2009).
- Editorial Board Member: Journal of Legal Education
- Editorial Board Member: Legal Communication & Rhetoric: JALWD
Weresh has held leadership roles such as Past President of the Legal Writing Institute and Past Chair of the AALS Section on Teaching Methods. Her work frequently addresses systemic inequities affecting marginalized groups in legal academia and practice.
