Jeffrey S. Lehman
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Jeffrey Sean Lehman (born August 1, 1956) is an American scholar, lawyer and
academic administrator Academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities. Some t ...
who is the vice chancellor of
New York University Shanghai New York University Shanghai (NYU Shanghai) is China's first Sino-US research university and the third degree-granting campus of New York University (NYU). Jointly established by NYU and East China Normal University with the support of the city o ...
. Known as an advocate for the role of universities in globalization, he previously served as chancellor and founding dean of the
Peking University School of Transnational Law The Peking University School of Transnational Law (STL or PKUSTL) () is located in Shenzhen, Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South C ...
in
Shenzhen Shenzhen (; ; ; ), also historically known as Sham Chun, is a major sub-provincial city and one of the special economic zones of China. The city is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern province ...
, China, president of
Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
, dean of the
University of Michigan Law School The University of Michigan Law School (Michigan Law) is the law school of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1859, the school offers Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Comparative Law (MCL ...
, and chairman of
Internet2 Internet2 is a not-for-profit United States computer networking consortium led by members from the research and education communities, industry, and government. The Internet2 consortium administrative headquarters are located in Ann Arbor, Mi ...
. On April 14, 2018, Lehman was one of forty named "The Most Influential Foreign Experts During 40 Years of China’s Reform and Opening-Up” at the 16th Conference on International Exchange of Professionals, for his work in higher education in China.


Education and early career

Born August 1, 1956 in Bronxville, New York, Lehman earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics from
Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
. While a student at Cornell, Lehman was active in the Alpha Phi Omega
fraternity A fraternity (from Latin language, Latin ''wiktionary:frater, frater'': "brother (Christian), brother"; whence, "wiktionary:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal ...
and co-wrote the book ''1000 Ways to Win
Monopoly A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situati ...
Games,'' with future tech entrepreneur Jay S. Walker. He spent his junior year participating in the Sweet Briar College Junior Year in France. He went on to receive a J.D. and a M.P.P. from the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Michigan Law Review. After graduating, he served as law clerk for Chief Judge Frank M. Coffin of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, and then for Associate Justice John Paul Stevens of the
U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
. After practicing law in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, Lehman returned to the University of Michigan in 1987 to join the law school faculty. He also taught as a visiting professor at the
Yale Law School Yale Law School (Yale Law or YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824 and has been ranked as the best law school in the United States by '' U.S. News & Worl ...
and the
University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...
.


Dean of the University of Michigan Law School

In 1994, Lehman became Dean of the University of Michigan Law School—at that time th
youngest law school dean in America
During his deanship, Michigan became the first U.S. law school to require all J.D. students to complete a course in transnational law. The school also drew attention for initiatives in public service and the teaching of legal writing. From 2001 to 2003, he served as president of the American Law Deans Association. Along with then-University President
Lee Bollinger Lee Carroll Bollinger (born April 30, 1946) is an American lawyer and educator who is serving as the 19th and current president of Columbia University, where he is also the Seth Low Professor of the University and a faculty member of Columbia La ...
, Lehman received national attention in the 2003 Supreme Court case of ''
Grutter v. Bollinger ''Grutter v. Bollinger'', 539 U.S. 306 (2003), was a landmark case of the Supreme Court of the United States concerning affirmative action in student admissions. The Court held that a student admissions process that favors "underrepresented minor ...
'', in which the University largely succeeded in defending the law school's affirmative action admissions policies.


President of Cornell University

In 2003, Lehman became the 11th president of Cornell University. As president of Cornell, he oversaw effective large-scale fundraising efforts. In 2004, Cornell ranked third in the nation in university fundraising (behind only Harvard and Stanford), raising over US$375 million that year alone. Lehman was also known for prominently promoting his "three themes": "life in the age of the genome," "wisdom in the age of digital information" and "sustainability in the age of development." These themes arose from intensive engagement with faculty, students and Cornellians during his first year, a process that won him great respect across campus. Lehman pioneered the concept of a "transnational" university, by opening a medical campus in Doha, Qatar and cooperative education and research arrangements with universities in China, India and Singapore. In 2005, Lehman resigned from the presidency, citing irreconcilable differences with the leadership of the Cornell Board of Trustees — an announcement that came as a surprise to most of the Cornell community and to outsiders. Lehman's tenure was by far the shortest of any Cornell President until the death of
Elizabeth Garrett Helen Elizabeth Garrett, commonly known as Elizabeth Garrett or Beth Garrett (June 30, 1963 – March 6, 2016), was an American professor of law and academic administrator. Between 2010 and 2015, she served as Provost and Senior Vice President ...
in 2016. Specific reasoning for Lehman's departure has been highly secretive and subject to occasional debate within the Cornell faculty and alumni communities. Lehman remained a member of the Cornell Law School faculty until 2012. In 2007, Cornell published ''An Optimistic Heart'', a book of speeches that Lehman wrote and delivered as president.


Founding dean of the Peking University School of Transnational Law

After serving as a senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C., Lehman became the chancellor and founding dean of the
Peking University School of Transnational Law The Peking University School of Transnational Law (STL or PKUSTL) () is located in Shenzhen, Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South C ...
, located on the university's Shenzhen campus. The school is modeled on the American style of law school, and it is intended that graduates will be eligible to sit for the New York
bar exam A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction. Australia Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associat ...
. On Sept. 29, 2011, Lehman was a recipient of the 2011
Friendship Award The Chinese Government's Friendship Award () is the People's Republic of China's highest award for "foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country's economic and social progress". The award was first established in 1950s, ...
, China’s highest award for foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to China’s economic and social progress.


Founding vice chancellor of NYU Shanghai

In April 2012, it was announced that Lehman would be steering the new institution jointly with
Yu Lizhong Yu Lizhong (; born September 14, 1949) was the first Chancellor of New York University Shanghai, having held this position from 2012 to 2020. Yu was awarded the title of Chancellor Emeritus of NYU Shanghai upon his retirement. Yu Lizhong joined NY ...
, former president of
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...
's local partner,
East China Normal University East China Normal University (ECNU) is a comprehensive public research university in Shanghai, China. It was formed in 1951 by the merger of the Great China University (est. 1924) and Kwang Hua University (est. 1925) and originated from the St. ...
. "Yu will be the chancellor and will play a major role in government relations. ... Lehman, as vice chancellor, will have free rein in academic affairs. The first students will arrive in fall 2013, the majority of them from China." In the time from summer, 2012 until opening, Lehman is dividing his time between New York and Shanghai. In November 2019, Lehman was charged by a faculty member with discrimination for failing to provide a safe and accessible environment. Restrooms at NYU Shanghai labeled as being for people with disabilities do not have basic accessibility features such as accessible flush handles. The charge is currently pending investigation by the
EEOC The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that was established via the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to administer and enforce civil rights laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination ...
.


Other activities

From 2007 to 2011, Lehman chaired the board of Internet2, an advanced not-for-profit U.S. networking consortium led by members from the research and education communities, industry, and government. Lehman was an independent director of
Infosys Infosys Limited is an Indian multinational information technology company that provides business consulting, information technology and outsourcing services. The company was founded in Pune and is headquartered in Bangalore. Infosys is the s ...
, Limited, a NASDAQ listed technology company headquartered in Bangalore, India. He attracted attention in India in his role as chair of the nominations committee that recommended the successor to the company’s founder N. R. Narayana Murthy, who had been appointed to the Cornell Board of Trustees during Lehman's tenure as President. He also served as chair of the board of the company’s American subsidiary, Infosys Public Services. Lehman abruptly resigned from Infosys in August 2017 following a whistleblower complaint into the company's conduct, including charges of nepotistic dealings by Lehman himself, mirroring his sudden resignation from Cornell years earlier.


See also

*
List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 4) Law clerks have assisted the justices of the United States Supreme Court in various capacities since the first one was hired by Justice Horace Gray in 1882. Each Associate Justice is permitted to employ four law clerks per Court term; the Chie ...


References


External links


Jeffrey Lehman personal website

Lehman at Peking University School of Transnational Law, Shenzhen

Cornell Presidency: Jeffrey S. Lehman
* Cornell University Library Presidents Exhibition: Jeffrey Sean Lehman
PresidencyInauguration
* LegalInsight.net audio


Inside Higher Ed: "Sudden Departure at Cornell"


{{DEFAULTSORT:Lehman, Jeffrey Sean 1956 births Living people Cornell University alumni Law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States Presidents of Cornell University Peking University faculty People from Bronxville, New York American expatriate academics American expatriates in China University of Michigan Law School alumni American chief executives of education-related organizations Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning alumni