Born and raised in Minneapolis, Robert Stein ’61 perhaps followed a predictable path as he graduated from South High School, then the University of Minnesota, and then Minnesota Law, where he earned the highest grade average of that time. It probably surprised no one that a large national firm scooped him up, but Law School Dean William Lockhart had another plan. 

“He called me that first fall and asked me to interview for a faculty position,” says Stein. “I declined because I’d just started practicing.” Lockhart called again the next year, then the year after that, and the year after that. In 1964, Stein finally said yes. “Once I taught, I loved it,” he says. 

Stein never looked back. In fact, his vision expanded. While teaching constitutional law, estate planning, international law, tax law, and wills and trusts, Stein also acquired administrative skills during a stint as associate dean. In 1977, he was appointed vice president for administration and planning at the University, serving for three years. Then, in another unusual career move, he returned to the Law School in 1979, where, according to colleagues, he served as an extraordinary dean for 15 years. 

The late Professor Emerita Ann Burkhart, an associate dean during those years, called Stein a pragmatic visionary. “He is an extremely effective leader on local, national, and international levels,” she said. “He just has a way with people.” 

William McGeveran, interim dean and Gray, Plant, Mooty, Mooty & Bennett Professor of Law, agrees. “There are very few people more responsible for the shape of Minnesota Law today than Bob Stein. His tenure as dean was transformational for us.” 

Stein’s assessment of that time is simple yet profound. “I loved being dean,” he says. “I enjoyed every aspect of it. One needs to subordinate personal goals to institutional goals, and I loved setting those goals and building the institution. The students were wonderful. All they want is for the school to be strong and have a reputation that advances their own career interests. The alumni were very supportive; most of our endowed chairs were created then. And the key to it all is our faculty. I am proud that during my last 13 years as dean, we had no departures from our excellent faculty.” 

It was an era of stability and growth fondly remembered by many. “He’s been an extraordinary presence at the Law School and the University, too,” says Professor Carol Chomsky, who was hired and earned tenure during those years. “He’s a model for engaging in University governance. He’s a great leader — steady and calm, with a vision.” 

As executive director and chief operating officer of the American Bar Association from 1994 to 2006, Stein shared that vision on a national scale, expanding his already formidable network and embarking on an ongoing quest to develop rule of law programs around the world. The connections he forged continue to benefit Minnesota Law, which he rejoined as Everett Fraser Professor of Law in 2006. In recent years, the Stein Lecture series has featured U.S. Supreme Court Justices Ginsburg, Scalia, Sotomayor, Roberts, Kagan, and Barrett. 

Stein has always found myriad ways to serve both the University and the Law School. He was the University’s representative to the Big Ten, the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), serving the last even after leaving the University in 1994. Among his many professional contributions, he represents Minnesota as a commissioner to the Uniform Law Commission and has served on the executive committee of the Council of the American Law Institute. The University honored him with its Global Engagement Award in 2016 and its President’s Award for Outstanding Service in 2017. 

Stein notes the many ways in which Minnesota Law has evolved during his long history, from greater use of new technologies to a more varied curriculum, including emerging specialty fields and greatly expanded clinical offerings. He says he likes to stay engaged by setting new annual goals, and, during retirement, intends to keep an office, continue to write, and pursue projects, especially those involving the rule of law. “Helping more people achieve a free and democratic society is exciting and important to me,” he says. 

Chomsky points out that not every dean has an international vision about the rule of law. “He took that to the national stage at the ABA and then brought it back again,” she says. “Not every dean is such a public intellectual leader.” 

Like many others, Chomsky commends Stein for his “wonderful contacts around the country.” But the fact that he has never forgotten his roots is equally laudable. “We’re so fortunate that he came back to share his knowledge and wisdom with students,” says McGeveran. “For one of our alumni to join the faculty, then lead the school is a special thing. He’s a Gopher all the way through.”