Theresa M. Beiner

Theresa M. Beiner is a Professor at the William H. Bowen School of Law, University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She previously served as the school's first permanent female dean (2018–2023) and held roles as Associate Dean of Faculty Development and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. Her expertise spans civil rights, anti-discrimination law, and federal judicial appointments. She holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia (1986) and a J.D. from Northwestern University (1989).

Professor Beiner teaches courses such as Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Employment Discrimination, and Gender and the Law. Her research integrates interdisciplinary insights from the Law and Society movement to inform legal rules. She emphasizes creative problem-solving in her teaching, employing a modified Socratic method and continuous assessment through quizzes and writing assignments.

Before academia, she practiced civil litigation at Howard, Rice, Nemerovski (now Arnold & Porter) in San Francisco, focusing on employment discrimination, antitrust, and environmental law. She clerked for Judge John F. Grady of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Recognized for her contributions, she has received Excellence Awards in both teaching and scholarship.

• Education:
  • B.A., 1986, University of Virginia
  • J.D., 1989, Northwestern University School of Law (Order of the Coif, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology)
• Awards:
  • Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching
  • Faculty Excellence Award in Scholarship