Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Arkansas State Claims Commission Reconsiders Prior Ruling on UALR Law Professor Robert Steinbuch’s Claim:
The Arkansas State Claims Commission has reconsidered a prior order regarding claims by law professor Robert Steinbuch over a named professorship at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s William H. Bowen School of Law.
During a meeting of the Claims Commission in January 2024, Mindy Pipkin, associate general counsel for the University of Arkansas System, argued on behalf of a motion to dismiss Steinbuch’s claims. … No faculty member has a right to a named professorship, she promulgated then. It’s a “discretionary benefit,” and Steinbuch was not “entitled” to the Arkansas Bar Foundation named professorship that went to Lindsey Gustafson instead of him. …
In June 2024, the Claims Commission dismissed Steinbuch’s claims against UALR, but Steinbuch — referred to by the Commission as the “claimant” — sought reconsideration and received another hearing in February.
“[T]he Commission finds that limited reconsideration of its June 3, 2024, order is warranted regarding claimant’s contract claims; as such, the Commission grants claimant’s motion as to claimant’s contract claims only,” the Commission’s order issued Monday states. …
“I’m very pleased with this ruling allowing my case to move forward, but I’m also hopeful that — with the change in administration and positive direction at the university that I’ve publicly discussed — we can move together in a constructive and collaborative fashion to resolve this dispute,” Steinbuch said Tuesday. …
Steinbuch initially filed his complaint in 2022, and since then, the university made several motions to dismiss his claims, while he and attorney Chris Corbitt filed several amended complaints offering additional information. Steinbuch is seeking an award of $10,250 — named professorships come with a $10,250 annual stipend — payment for his attorney fees and “all other just and proper relief.”
Prior TaxProf Blog coverage:
- Renaming Of Endowed Professorship For President Clinton Roils Arkansas Law School (June 28, 2021)
- Update On Controversy Over Renaming Endowed Professorship For President Clinton At Arkansas Law School (July 5, 2021)
- Arkansas Legislature To Hold Hearing On Renaming Of Law School Endowed Professorship For President Clinton (July 13, 2021)
- Arkansas Law Professor Files State Claim Over Denial Of Named Professorship With $10,250 Stipend (Sept. 28, 2022)
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