Constitutional
scholar Simpkins hired by law school
John Simpkins, an adviser
to nations on constitutional law, will teach here
Simpkins
|
MARCH 8, 2005
- - Lexington native John L.S. Simpkins, an adviser to several
African nations on constitutional law, will teach the subject
to second-year students at Charleston School of Law starting in
August, Dean Richard Gershon announced today.
"We're excited to have
Professor Simpkins join the faculty at Charleston School of Law
because of the critical skills and knowledge he has of constitutional
law," Gershon said. "Not only is he respected academically,
but his experiences in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa
provide a practical background that will be invaluable to our
students."
Simpkins, 34, will join the
School's faculty after having taught political science at Furman
University, where he served as assistant director of the Richard
W. Riley Institute of Government, Politics and Public Leadership.
Simpkins said he eagerly anticipated
teaching law in Charleston this fall. "The law school is
a place full of energy and ideas," he said. "It will
have a significant impact on the legal community and in the everyday
lives of people throughout the region."
After graduation from Harvard
University in 1993, Simpkins spent two years in South Africa working
to promote democratic institutions as it transitioned from apartheid
to democratic rule under the leadership of Nelson Mandela.
After receiving a law degree
from Duke University, he went into private practice for several
years, but continued democracy-building efforts as a consultant
in Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria. His work focused on helping elected
officials understand and build constitutions.
Most recently, for example,
he worked in 2004 and this year with a Swedish group, the International
Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (www.idea.int)
to facilitate constitution-building in Nigeria.
As a high school senior, Simpkins
attended the Governor's School of South Carolina at the College
of Charleston. Since 2000, he has served as a summer instructor
with the program.
Simpkins and his wife, Dr. Carolyn Wong Simpkins, are expecting
their first child in May.
