Michael Waterstone

Michael Waterstone. He is an American legal scholar and academic administrator specializing in disability law, civil rights, and employment discrimination. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he has held faculty positions at several prominent law schools before becoming the dean of Loyola Law School at Loyola Marymount University. His influential scholarship and leadership have significantly impacted legal education and policy discussions surrounding the Americans with Disabilities Act and related statutes.

Early life and education

Waterstone completed his undergraduate studies, earning a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley. He then pursued his legal education at Harvard Law School, where he served as an editor for the Harvard Law Review and graduated with a Juris Doctor degree. Following law school, he clerked for the Honorable William A. Fletcher on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, an experience that deepened his engagement with federal appellate practice and civil rights litigation.

Academic career

After his clerkship, Waterstone began his academic career as a professor at the University of Mississippi School of Law. He later joined the faculty of Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, where he taught courses on civil procedure, disability law, and employment discrimination. His reputation as a dedicated educator and scholar led to his recruitment by Harvard Law School, where he served as a visiting professor. He subsequently held a tenured professorship at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law before returning to Loyola Law School in a leadership capacity.

Research and scholarship

Waterstone's scholarly work is centered on the intersection of disability rights, administrative law, and employment law. He is a leading authority on the Americans with Disabilities Act, having co-authored a major treatise on the subject and published extensively in top law journals, including the Stanford Law Review and the University of Pennsylvania Law Review. His research critically examines enforcement mechanisms, the role of federal agencies like the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and the procedural barriers facing plaintiffs in civil rights cases. This body of work has been cited in judicial opinions and has informed policy debates at the United States Department of Justice.

Dean of Loyola Law School

In 2021, Waterstone was appointed the dean of Loyola Law School. As dean, he has overseen significant initiatives, including curricular innovations, expansions in clinical legal education, and efforts to enhance student support services. He has strengthened the school's connections with the Los Angeles legal community, including partnerships with major law firms like Latham & Watkins and public interest organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union. Under his leadership, the school has continued to advance its mission of educating ethical, practice-ready lawyers, with a particular focus on increasing diversity and promoting social justice.

Personal life

Waterstone is married and has children. He is known to be an avid supporter of the Los Angeles Dodgers and enjoys hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains. He remains actively involved in professional organizations, including the Association of American Law Schools and the American Bar Association, often participating in panels and continuing legal education programs on developments in disability law and legal education reform.

Category:American legal scholars Category:American law school deans Category:Harvard Law School alumni Category:21st-century American educators