Susan P. Koniak

Biography

Professor Susan Koniak says the key to being a good legal teacher is to never lose sight of one’s key responsibility: to produce good lawyers. “When I’m standing in front of the students, it’s not about me, it’s about them. It’s my responsibility to ensure that they have a solid understanding of the material, and more important, the analytical skills and practical judgment that form the foundation of good lawyering,” she says.

A distinguished scholar as well as educator, Professor Koniak joined the School’s faculty in 1993, after teaching at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law for five years. In addition to her responsibilities at Boston University, Professor Koniak has, in recent years, been a visiting professor at Harvard Law School, Cornell Law School and the Yale School of Organization and Management. She has published many articles and has co-authored three significant textbooks: The Law and Ethics of Lawyering, now in its 4th edition, Leading Constitutional Decisions, Cases in Constitutional Law and an anthology of essays, Foundations of the Law and Ethics of Lawyering. Professor Koniak testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the conduct of lawyers involved in the Enron debacle and other similar corporate scandals, and before the House Judiciary Committee on abusive conduct of class action lawyers. She is frequently quoted in the media on the conduct of lawyers, class action practice and the responsibility of secondary actors, such as lawyers and accountants, in securities and other financial fraud.