UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK LAW DEAN STEPPING DOWN:

Schwartz found himself enmeshed in several controversies at the law school, engendered by conservative activists. One involved faculty member Rob Steinbuch’s effort to dislodge student records to determine whether under-qualified black students were gaining admittance. Steinbuch filed suit for records after Schwartz provided redacted copies of some material he sought to analyze bar exam performance. Steinbuch also accused two other faculty members of retaliating against him for seeking the information. He called them “race police.”

More recently, Schwartz has been derided by conservatives on the web for providing on-campus counseling to students upset by the presidential election. . . .

Schwartz’s criticism from conservative Republican quarters might also have put him at odds with Republican Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, a Bowen graduate who recently directed $1 million in money won by the office in lawsuits to a business law clinic at Bowen School. Rutledge was a frequent cheerleader for Donald Trump, met with him in New York this week and has been mentioned for a role in his administration. And grief counseling was the thanks she got for sending money UALR’s way? Or so goes the speculation.

I hope they’ll find a new dean who’s well-suited to the school and the state.