معرفی
Michael S. Ariens is the Aloysius A. Leopold Professor of Law at St. Mary's University School of Law. He has also served as a visiting professor at Southern Methodist University, Catholic University Columbus School of Law, and the University of Innsbruck, Austria, reflecting his national and international academic engagement.
His educational background includes an LL.M. from Harvard University (1987), a J.D. from Marquette University (1982), and a B.A. from St. Norbert College (1979). He is licensed to practice law in the District of Columbia and Wisconsin.
Ariens specializes in American legal history, legal ethics, constitutional law, church-state relations, evidence, and professional responsibility. His scholarship critically examines the evolution of the American legal profession, the moral foundations of legal practice, and the historical development of legal ethics. He is particularly known for his narrative and storytelling approach to teaching legal history.
His recent publications, spanning from 2009 to 2022, reflect a consistent focus on the ethical and historical dimensions of law. Themes include the decline of professionalism, the role of lawyers as moral agents, the privatization of legal practice, and the tension between profit motives and ethical duties. His work appears in prominent journals such as St. Mary’s Law Journal, Creighton Law Review, and University of Kansas Law Review.
He is the author of five books, including Lone Star Law: A Legal History of Texas, which received two awards. He has also contributed entries to authoritative references such as the Yale Biographical Dictionary of American Law and the Oxford Companion to American Law.
- Two awards for Lone Star Law: A Legal History of Texas
- TePoel Lecture (2018)
Ariens has advised on legal education reform and public policy, contributing op-eds to media outlets such as the Texas Lawyer and San Antonio Express-News. He has not been noted to lead any formal research labs or teams, but his influence is evident through his extensive publications and invited lectures. There is no indication of grant funding or student advising in the provided text.
