Allen Rostron Named Edward A. Smith/Missouri Chair in Law, the Constitution and Society

Allen Rostron, J.D., William R. Jacques Constitutional Law Scholar, Professor of Law and Associate Dean of the UMKC School of Law, was recently appointed the Edward A. Smith/Missouri Chair in Law, the Constitution and Society.

The Smith Chair recognizes a faculty member for their scholarly accomplishments and involvement in the law school and community. It helps attract and retain accomplished faculty members, allowing students to learn about constitutional law from renowned experts.

"Associate Dean Rostron richly deserves to hold the Smith Chair," said Lumen Mulligan, dean of the School of Law. "He is an expert in the Second Amendment and is in the top 2.5 percent of most downloaded legal authors in the country. His acumen as a scholar is matched only by his skill in the classroom and commitment to our school."

Rostron has been a professor at UMKC School of Law for more than 20 years, following a decade as an attorney in private practice and at a nonprofit organization. Originally hired to teach civil procedure and tort law, a colleague's retirement opened the door for Rostron to teach constitutional law, and he's never looked back.

"I enjoy all the subjects I teach, but I enjoy constitutional law in particular," Rostron said. "There's a certain storytelling aspect to it. Constitutional law involves so much history, and every constitutional law case has a story and people behind it. These cases are relevant to the current day, and we see their impact playing out every day. It's important to everyone to understand."

Rostron's passion for constitutional law doesn't stop at the classroom doors. For the last four years, he has taught a summer course at the SPARK Flossie Pack Center for Lifelong Learning. Earlier this year, he was a fact checker for American Public Square at a live presentation about freedom of speech. Rostron is also involved in planning a series of events at the law school focused on current legal issues.

"I like being an ambassador of UMKC to the larger community and helping people understand what's going on," Rostron said. "I like that the Smith Chair will give me more opportunities to do that and to have a bigger role in the law school and the community."