Tuesday, June 13, 2006

WRITER: Kerri Wilson, 706/542-5172, lawcomm@uga.edu
CONTACT: Ted Kassinger, 202/383-5170, tkassinger@omm.com
Paul Kurtz, 706/542-7140, pmkurtz@uga.edu

Former U.S. Department of Commerce deputy secretary to teach course at UGA School of Law

ATHENS, Ga. – This fall, former U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Theodore (Ted) W. Kassinger will teach an international trade law and policy course at the University of Georgia School of Law. Kassinger is a 1978 Georgia Law alumnus who has extensive experience in international legal matters. He will be joining the law school as the Carl E. Sanders Political Leadership Scholar, a position named for Georgia's 74th Governor, who is also a Georgia Law alumnus.

School of Law Dean Rebecca H. White said the Sanders Political Scholar position allows the students to learn from individuals who have distinguished themselves as leaders in public service. "We are grateful to Governor Sanders for his support of this prestigious teaching post that aims to expose students to the roles of law and lawyers in shaping public policy. And we are grateful that a lawyer and public servant of Ted Kassinger's caliber will be holding this position."

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Paul M. Kurtz said he is also excited Kassinger will be teaching at the law school. "It is an honor for our students to have the opportunity to learn from someone with Ted's credentials and reputation. The fact that he is an alumnus makes it that much more special for the students and for the school."

Currently a partner at O'Melveny & Myers, where he co-chairs the firm's Global Trade Practice Group and is a member of its Strategic Counseling Practice Group, Kassinger has an impressive record of public service. He has served as deputy secretary and as general counsel of the U.S. Department of Commerce, as attorney-advisor at the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. International Trade Commission, and as international trade counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. His private practice experience includes more than 16 years at Vinson & Elkins, where he specialized in transnational business transactions, regulatory matters and dispute resolution.

Most recently, Kassinger co-authored "Beyond NAFTA: A New Partnership for Common Security and Prosperity in North America" in the Canada-United States Law Journal and authored "Commercial Law Reform Issues in the Reconstruction of Iraq" in the Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law.

A native of Athens, Ga., Kassinger earned his bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Georgia. He earned his Juris Doctor cum laude and served as the notes editor of the Georgia Law Review.

Previous Sanders Political Scholars include former Georgia Supreme Court Justice George T. Smith and former U.S. Sen. J. Maxwell "Max" Cleland.

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