Two Law School faculty members win teaching awards

Professor David Schwartz and Madison lawyer Stephen P. Hurley, an adjunct professor, have won awards for excellence in teaching at the Law School.

Schwartz, who teaches equal employment law, evidence, constitutional law and other courses, won the 2004 Teacher of the Year Award from the Wisconsin Law Alumni Association.

“I am delighted that our students have recognized David’s talents and his commitment to teaching,” says Dean Kenneth B. Davis, Jr. “David is an exceptional classroom teacher and an important faculty voice on issues of curriculum reform, expanded opportunities for legal writing and innovative teaching.”

Schwartz, an expert in workers’ rights, workplace law, civil rights and constitutional law, was chosen through the alumni association’s poll of the last three graduating classes. He is the 20th winner of the award.

For the three years just prior to joining the UW Law School faculty in 1999, Schwartz was senior staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, in Los Angeles.

Hurley won the Warren H. Stolper Award for his work in teaching evidence and trial advocacy at the Law School, where he began teaching in 1989. The school gives the award based on students’ teaching evaluations and length of service.

He is a shareholder in the Madison law firm of Hurley, Burish and Milliken, concentrating his practice on business and criminal litigation.

“We are deeply grateful for Steve’s willingness to take time from his important criminal law practice to teach large sections of evidence and help out with other course offerings,” says Davis. “Students regularly rate him as one of the school’s most outstanding teachers.”