Dean Hiram Chodosh of the University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law recently publicly announced that Scott Matheson will hold the Hugh B. Brown Presidential Endowed Chair in Law at the College of Law. Matheson joined the COL faculty in 1985 and has since served as associate dean for academic affairs and as dean. From 1993-1997, he served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Utah. The Hugh B. Brown Presidential Endowed Chair in Law was established in 1977. Brown is best remembered for his 22 years of service as a General Authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and for his significant role in the legal profession. However, he was also a farmer, a Canadian cowboy, a soldier, a missionary, a businessman and a family man. As he once remarked, “God delights in diversity.”
In the following Q&A, Matheson describes his current academic and teaching pursuits and described the effect he believes his appointment will have on his scholarship and why the award is particularly meaningful to him.
What kinds of projects are you currently working on?
I am working on a collaborative project that addresses the admissibility of a novel form of scientific forensic evidence.
Will the appointment to the Hugh B. Brown Presidential Endowed Chair affect your scholarship? If so, how?
I would expect this appointment to have a positive effect on my scholarship because it is as much a call to action as it is a recognition of prior work.
What do you anticipate your next project will be?
See above. I expect to continue to publish in the field of constitutional law.
What research have you done since the appointment?
My most recent publications are my book, Presidential Constitutionalism in Perilous Times (Harvard University Press, 2009), and “The State of Utah’s Role in Coal Mine Safety: Federalism Considerations,” 29 J. Land, Resources & Envtl. L. 143 (2009). The book recently was awarded the Chicago-Kent College of Law Roy C. Palmer Civil Liberties Prize, which will be presented on Friday, November 20, 2009.
How would you describe the significance of this appointment? For instance, does it bring you (or the College) new or enhanced opportunities?
I am deeply honored by this appointment. This chair was the first fully endowed chair at the college of law. It was named for a distinguished lawyer and leader in our community. And the support of many generous supporters made its establishment possible. For many years John Flynn, my friend, colleague, and mentor, held the chair, which makes this appointment all the more meaningful to me.
How would you describe the connection between the appointment and the College’s teaching and research mission?
I would hope that our endowed chairs are used to underscore the high quality of teaching and scholarship that occurs at the S.J. Quinney College of Law.