Dr. Ronald L. Steiner,
Visiting Associate Professor of Law, and
Director of Graduate, Summer & Joint Degree Programs

Chapman University School of Law
One University Drive, Orange, California  92866
Phone: (714) 628-7356  
Email: steiner@chapman.edu

Dr. Steiner, named Chapman University Faculty Member of the Year for 2006-2007 by the Chapman University Alumni Association, joined the law school faculty after several years as a faculty member in Political Science at Chapman and elsewhere. He received his J.D. from the University of Southern California, where he graduated Order of the Coif. He worked as an extern for Justice Miriam Vogel of the California Court of Appeal, and served as a clerk for Judge Ferdinand F. Fernandez of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Dr. Steiner worked for several years with the major international law firm of Sidley Austin, handing appellate and law-intensive litigation, including telecommunications regulatory proceedings before the FCC. In addition, he served in 1999 and 2000 as Deputy Counsel on the California Governor’s Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Hate Groups.

Dr. Steiner received a B.A. in English from Lafayette College, an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Delaware, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota, with fields of concentration in political thought and American political institutions. His dissertation, “The Interpretation of Treaties and the Constitution of Native American Identity” (1993), explored the intellectual and historical foundations of federal Indian law.

In addition to be named Chapman’s Faculty Member of the Year, he is the winner of a number of other teaching awards, including two Awards for Outstanding Teaching in Political Science by the American Political Science Association for 2005 and 2007. Among his proudest achievements is having mentored more than 20 students in getting their research accepted for presentation at academic conferences.

Dr. Steiner is the Director of the Law School's Graduate, Summer & Joint Degree Programs. He teaches Legislation, American Legal History, and an Advanced Tort Seminar on Private Law as Public Policy.