In Pursuit of Excellence - A History of the University of Minnesota Law School, Part VII: The Stein Years - A Time of Advancement and Prosperity

When the seven-year administration of the school's sixth dean, Carl A. Auerbach, ended, the new Law School building had become a reality, and Dean Auerbach's principal goal was achieved. As Auerbach passed the torch to Robert A. Stein, however, he did so amid controversy and widespread frustration at the Law School with the legislature regarding budgets and class size. Stein, at age forty, was young, energetic, and able to achieve the balance of what Dean Auerbach termed "scholarly attainment with administrative savvy." As Stein ascended to the ranks of what he described as "the best law school deanship opportunity in the country,"¹ he was unanimously viewed as an "extremely energetic, enthusiastic and responsive man."² Chosen because he was perceived by both faculty members and administrators alike as an open, easygoing person who was able to communicate effectively, Dean Stein's optimism proved to be the perfect ingredient for the Law School at the time.