After graduating from Cornell Law School, Associate Professor Beau Baumann began working as a clerk in a federal district court and then for the civil division of the Department of Justice. Eager to pursue a career as a legal scholar, Baumann earned a Ph.D. in law from Yale Law School.
“My scholarship sits at the intersection of administrative law, constitutional law, legal history, American political development, and law and political economy,” Baumann explains. “I pay particular attention to the administrative state, separation of powers, presidential control, congressional constitutionalism, and the historical development of legal institutions.”
Baumann joined Utah Law’s faculty July 1 and is excited to be among professors who have differing teaching styles and opinions on courses.
“I’m teaching Constitutional Law in the fall, so I took the time to meet everybody who teaches it here. They have come at it in completely different ways,” he says. “There’s no unifying principle amongst the Con Law faculty. That, for me, is a huge plus, because it means I get to learn from a bunch of different people who don’t agree on basic premises. It’s really exciting for me.”
Used to the class sizes at Cornell and Yale, Baumann also found Utah Law’s small population appealing. He looks forward to “getting his sea legs” and teaching Constitutional Law for the first time.
“Cornell and Yale are two of the smallest law schools in America in terms of class size, so that small intimacy of a classroom is super appealing for a guy like me,” he says. “I’m most excited about teaching in front of the student body I’ve heard a lot about, where people are really eager to learn.”
When he’s not teaching, Baumann enjoys going to the movies and spending time with his wife and 2-year-old son. He also runs a vintage menswear store and looks forward to exploring Salt Lake City’s shops.
“I love vintage clothing, so I go to all the estate sales. I have this little online store, and sampling different brands people have totally forgotten about from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s is a lot of fun for me,” he says. “I’m also excited about seeing my kid grow up in the mountains and be able to explore everything that Salt Lake City has to offer in terms of nature.”