Stephen D. Easton
Dean and Professor of Law
B.A., Dickinson State University (1980), summa cum laude
J.D., Stanford Law School (1983)
seaston3@uwyo.edu • (307) 766-6416 • 105 College of Law

University of Missouri Law Professor Stephen D. Easton has been named dean of the University of Wyoming College of Law.  His appointment began July 1, 2009.  He replaces Professor Jerry Parkinson, who has served as dean of the law school since 1998.

Easton's research, writing, and speaking focus on expert witnesses, effective trial advocacy and professional responsibility (ethics).  Easton joined the MU faculty in 1998 and was the C.A. Leedy Professor of Law. He  is a popular continuing legal education speaker who has been invited to speak to groups of practicing trial attorneys in dozens of states.

"I am excited to continue advancing the growth of the College of Law," Easton wrote in his acceptance letter.  "The college has a combination of strong resources, including an outstanding faculty, a dedicated staff, and enthusiastic students, as well as superb opportunities to link with UW's initiatives in natural resources and energy.  The college enjoys impressive support from its alumni across (and beyond) the state."

Since joining the MU faculty in 1998, he has won several university and national teaching and writing awards, including the Pound Civil Justice Institute Richard S. Jacobson Award for Excellence in Teaching Trial Advocacy, the University of Missouri's William T. Kemper Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching, the American Inns of Court Warren E. Burger Writing Prize and Mizzou's Excellence in Education and Golden Chalk Awards.

In law school, Professor Easton was associate managing editor of the Stanford Law Review and president of the Stanford Law Forum.  Before starting his teaching career, he was a law clerk to The Honorable Joseph T. Sneed of the United States Court of Appeals in San Francisco, Calif.; an associate and partner with the Pearce & Durick in Bismarck, N.D.; and the U.S. Attorney for the District of North Dakota in Fargo and Bismarck, N.D.

He is the author of "How to Win Jury Trials: Building Credibility with Judges and Jurors," a handbook for trial attorneys.

Easton earned his A.A. (1978) at Northland Community and Technical College, received his B.A. summa cum laude (1980) at Dickinson State University and earned his J.D. (1983) at Stanford Law School.

Founded in 1920, the UW College of Law has been accredited by the American Bar Association since 1923 and in 1985 was granted membership in the Order of the Coif, a national honorary society that recognizes excellence in legal education.  Fewer than half of American law schools have been granted such membership. It is among the country's smallest law schools, providing increased opportunities to participate in student organizations, law review, moot court and trial competitions and other activities.

Publications:

Academic Journals

Easton, S. (2008).  Peeking Behind the Wizard's Curtain: Expert Discovery and Disclosure in Criminal Cases, with Kaitlin A. Bridges, 32 Am. J. Trial Advoc. 1 (2008).

Easton, S. (2006).  That is Not All There is: Enhancing Daubert Exclusion by Applying "Ordinary" Witness Principles to Experts, 84 NEBRASKA LAW REVIEW 675 (2006).

Easton, S. (2006).  "Toto, I Have a Feeling We're Not in Kansas Anymore": Using the Wizard of Oz to Introduce Students to the Skills of Witness Examination, 12 CLINICAL LAW REVIEW 283 (2006).

Easton, E. (2004).  My Last Lecture: Unsolicited Advice for Future and Current Lawyers, 56 SOUTH CAROLINA LAW REVIEW 229 (2004).

Easton, S. (2004).  Turning Criminal Law Students into Prosecutors and Defense Attorneys (At Least for One Day), 48 SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY LAW JOURNAL 1217 (2004).

Easton, S. (2004).  Damages: The Litigation Environment, 2004 JOURNAL OF DISPUTE RESOLUTION 57.

Easton, S. (2004).  Damages: Expert Witnesses, 2004 JOURNAL OF DISPUTE RESOLUTION 37.

Easton, S. (2003).  Dealing with Draft Dodgers: Automatic Production of Drafts of Expert Witness Reports, with Franklin D. Romines II, 22 REVIEW OF LITIGATION 355 (2003).

Easton, S. (2002).  Irving Younger's Ten Commandments of Cross Examination: A Refresher Course, with Additional Suggestions, 26 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRIAL ADVOCACY 277 (2002).

Easton, S. (2002).  "Red Rover, Red Rover, Send That Expert Right Over": Clearing the Way for Parties to Introduce the Testimony of Their Opponents' Expert Witnesses (winner of Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP Excellence in Research Award), 55 SMU LAW REVIEW 1427 (2002).

Easton, S. (2001).  Can We Talk?: Removing Counterproductive Ethical Restraints Upon Ex Parte Communication Between Attorneys and Adverse Expert Witnesses, 76 INDIANA LAW JOURNAL 647 (2001).

Easton, S. (2000).  Ammunition for the Shoot-Out with the Hired Gun's Hired Gun: A Proposal for Full Expert Witness Disclosure, 32 ARIZONA STATE LAW JOURNAL 465 (2000).

Easton, S. (1998).  "Yer Outta Here!" A Framework for Analyzing the Potential Exclusion of Expert Testimony Under the Federal Rules of Evidence, 32 UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND LAW REVIEW 1 (1998).

Easton, S. (1997).  The Truth About Ethics and Ethics About the Truth: An Open Letter to Trial Attorneys, 33 GONZAGA LAW REVIEW 463 (1997-98).

Easton, S. (1997).  No Pay, No Play: Trial Broadcast Fees are Constitutional, 49 SOUTH CAROLINA LAW REVIEW 73 (1997).

Easton, S. (1997).  Whose Life is it Anyway?: A Proposal to Redistribute Some of the Economic Benefits of Cameras in the Courtroom from Broadcasters to Crime Victims, 49 SOUTH CAROLINA LAW REVIEW 1 (1997).

Easton, S. (1997).  Lessons Learned the Hard Way from O.J. and "The Dream Team", 32 TULSA LAW JOURNAL 707 (1997).

Additional Publications

Easton, S. (2006).  Award-Winning Advice, 34 no.9 STUDENT LAWYER 32 (May 2006).

Easton, S. (2006).  A Lesson from Oz, 35 no.4 STUDENT LAWYER 18 (Dec. 2006).

Books

Easton, S. (2010).  Materials in Trial Advocacy, with Professor Thomas A. Mauet and Judge Warren D. Wolfson (selected by Professor Mauet and Judge Wolfson as a co-author for the seventh edition of this widely used text from Aspen/Wolters Kluwer), (7th ed., forthcoming 2010).

Easton, S. (2008).  Attacking Adverse Experts, American Bar Association (2008).

Easton, S. (2004).  Problems, Cases and Materials in Professional Responsibility, with related Teacher's Manual, and PowerPoint slides, with James R. Devine, William B. Fisch, & Robert H. Aronson, Thompson-West (2004).

Easton, S. (1998).  How to Win Jury Trials: Building Credibility with Judges and Jurors, American Law Institute-American Bar Association Committee on Continuting Professional Education (1998).

Professional Journals

Easton, S. (2001).  Everybody Knows It, But Is It True? A Challenge to the Conventional Wisdom that the War on Drugs is Ineffective, 14 FED. SENTENCING REP. 132 (2001-2002).

Easton, S. (1999).  Cashing in your Credibility During Final Argument, 46-Apr FEDERAL LAWYER 30 (1999).

Easton, S. (1999).  The Power of Truth: An Honest Attorney's Guide to Winning Jury Trials in a Dishonest World, 62 TEXAS BAR JOURNAL 234 (1999).

Easton, S. (1997).  Truth in Trial Overcoming Jurors' Mistrust, 57-Jul OREGON STATE BAR BULLETIN 25 (1997).

Easton, S. (1997).  A Guide to the Care and Feeding of Judges, 31-Aug PROSECUTOR 36 (1997).

Press releases:

• 9/25/2009 - UW Dedicates State-of-the-art Legal Facility
• 5/11/2009 - Easton Named UW College of Law Dean