Professor Stephanie Stern Named Inaugural Desmond and Jean Ruley Kearns Professor of Law

University of Arizona Law Professor Stephanie Stern has been selected as the inaugural Desmond and Jean Ruley Kearns Professor of Law.  

The endowed professorship in natural resources law was made possible through a generous $1 million gift from University of Arizona alumni couple Desmond "Des" and Jean Ruley Kearns, ensuring the long-term advancement of this essential field.  

“I am honored and thrilled to be selected for the Kearns professorship,” said Stern. “I look forward to passing on the values and legacy of the Kearns in the law school’s environmental program.”  

As the inaugural Kearns Professor of Law Stern will continue her impactful research and teaching in environmental law, climate adaptation policy, water law and property law. Currently on research leave, she is working on several articles examining critical issues in land use, climate, and reclaimed water.  

Stern hopes to plan new educational opportunities in her new role, including a future speaker series or course on emerging environmental issues like clean energy, to provide students and the wider community with access to thought leadership on pressing global issues.  

Stern’s scholarship has been published in the Duke Law Journal, Michigan Law Review, Columbia Law Review, Cornell Law Review, Virginia Law Review, and leading peer-reviewed journals.    

She is part of the University of Arizona Water Initiative, participates in the Arizona Institute for Resilient Environments and Societies and served on the Climate Health U.S.-France working group. 

Stern has held visiting professorships at Yale Law School and Hebrew University. She practiced property law at Kirkland & Ellis, LLP, served as a fellow of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, and clerked for the Honorable Kermit Lipez on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Stern is a graduate of Yale Law School.