Phillip J. Closius
Dean of the School of Law
B.A., magna cum laude, University of Notre Dame, 1972
J.D., Columbia University, 1975
Curriculum Vitae
Expertise
Contact Information
Telephone: (410) 837-4177
Room Number: LC 113
E-mail
Administrative Assistant: Linda Lahey, (410) 837-4458, (on campus x4458), LC 103
Courses Taught
Constitutional Law
Constitutional Law II
- Video of 9/28/2009 Class
- Syllabus, Fall 2009
- First Class Assignment: Pages 741-753; 936-937
Dean Closius was appointed Dean of the School of Law in 2007. Before coming to Baltimore, he served at the University of Toledo College of Law beginning in 1979, when he was appointed an assistant professor, followed shortly thereafter by an appointment to associate professor. He was promoted to a full professorship in 1986, teaching Constitutional and First Amendment law, as well as courses in trusts and estate, literature and the law, and sports law. In 1986 he took on additional responsibilities as associate dean for Student and Financial Affairs, where he worked on the college's budget, admissions, personnel, financial aid and career services. In 1999, he was named dean, a position he held until July, 2005, when he returned to the faculty.
At Toledo, Closius received a number of awards and accolades for his performance, including Toledo's Outstanding Professor Award three times and the Black Law Students Association Professor of the Year. His publications have included a number of journal articles within his areas of expertise, including "Social Justice and the Myth of Fairness: A Communal Defense of Affirmative Action" (in Nebraska Law Review, 1995), "Rejecting the Fruits of Action: The Regeneration of the Waste Land's Legal System" (in Notre Dame Law Review, 1995) and "Hell Hath No Fury Like a Fan Scorned: State Regulation of Sports Agents," (in Toledo Law Review, 1999). Prior to his career in academia, Closius practiced corporate law at Kelley Drye & Warren in New York, While at Toledo, he represented a number of professional athletes in salary negotiations and also negotiated a number of real estate transactions.