Rebekah Hanley is the Bernard B. Kliks Professor of Law. She is the new lead author of the
OSB Bulletin's Legal Writer column and part of the author team for the recently released 10th edition of
Legal Method and Writing: Foundations for the Study of Law. Professor Hanley previously served as Oregon Law’s Galen Scholar in Legal Writing. In that capacity, she studied generative artificial intelligence and its impact on law school teaching and the practice of law, building on earlier articles on related topics. Professor Hanley is the recipient of the
2020 Orlando J. Hollis Teaching Award, the law school's highest recognition of teaching excellence.
Professor Hanley has been a faculty member at the University of Oregon School of Law since 2004, teaching 1L and upper-level legal research and writing courses along with the school’s required professional responsibility course. She now teaches courses related to generative artificial intelligence and the practice of law. She also served as the school’s Assistant Dean for Career Planning and Professional Development for four years. Earlier in her career, Professor Hanley clerked for the Honorable Dean D. Pregerson in the Central District of California; practiced law in Los Angeles with Munger, Tolles & Olson; and later clerked for the Honorable Harry Pregerson, United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Beyond Oregon Law, Professional Hanley is a leader in the national legal writing community. She recently concluded her term as President of the Association of Legal Writing Directors, which planned and implemented its
2023 biennial conference during her presidency. She also served as co-chair of a national conference of the Legal Writing Institute and has been active with the Association of American Law Schools. Professor Hanley is a dynamic speaker, appearing frequently at national and state conferences, both for academics and for practitioners.
