Law Professor Laura Appleman appointed to named professorship

by Russell Yost MBA’05,

Appleman will become the Van Winkle Melton Professor of Law.

  • Professor of Law Laura Appleman sits at a table with three students having a discussion
    Professor of Law Laura Appleman, center, has been named the Van Winkle Melton Professor of Law.

Willamette University College of Law announced that Associate Dean of Faculty Research and Professor of Law Laura Appleman has been appointed the Van Winkle Melton Professor of Law. Appleman was promoted to professor of law in 2014 and has taught at Willamette since 2006.

In a message to the College of Law community, Dean Curtis Bridgeman praised Appleman’s scholarship and service. “Professor Appleman has established herself as a nationally known expert on sentencing law, criminal procedure and other topics,” said Bridgeman. “In addition, she is an accomplished classroom instructor and excels at university service.”

Laura Appleman

Since promotion to professor in 2014, Appleman has published four law review articles (the most recent with the Duke Law Journal), three essays or book chapters, and a book published by Cambridge University Press about the relationship between juries and communities in criminal trials.

“One of the great privileges of being a law professor at Willamette is being able to devote a large part of my time to research and writing in the area of criminal justice,” said Appleman. “This work not only aims to advance solutions for our current problems in criminal adjudication, but also enhances the breadth and scope of my teaching in both the law school and the wider community.”

The Van Winkle Melton professorship was established by Rosalind Van Winkle Melton ’31 and her husband, Edward Melton, in honor of Rosalind’s father, Isaac Van Winkle, LLB class of 1901 who served as dean of the College of Law from 1913–1927.

“Isaac Van Winkle dedicated his life to improving both the law and the Willamette community,” said Appleman, “and I hope to do the same.”

About Willamette University College of Law

Opened in 1883, Willamette University College of Law is the first law school in the Pacific Northwest. The college has a long tradition at the forefront of legal education and is committed to the advancement of knowledge through excellent teaching, scholarship and mentorship. Leading faculty, thriving externship and clinical law programs, ample practical skills courses and a proactive career placement office prepare Willamette law students for today’s legal job market. According to statistics compiled by the American Bar Association, Willamette ranks first in the Pacific Northwest for job placement for full-time, long-term, JD-preferred/JD-required jobs for the class of 2014 and first in Oregon for the classes of 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Located across the street from the state capitol complex and the Oregon Supreme Court, the college specializes in law and government, law and business, and dispute resolution.

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