Charles Burson, J.D., has been named the School of Law’s first senior professor of practice. The new position is for distinguished lawyers and legal practice senior lecturers who meet criteria established by the law faculty to serve as full-time teaching faculty.
“The new senior professor of practice designation creates an effective and innovative means for outstanding legal professionals to share their expertise with our law students as full-time teachers and to work closely with their colleagues on the law faculty,” said Kent Syverud, J.D., dean and the Ethan A.H. Shepley University Professor.
“Charles Burson is an exemplar of the ideal of the senior professor of practice,” Syverud said. “He comes to the law school after a highly distinguished career in law and government service, and his classes are rigorous and popular with our students.”
Since 2007, Burson has been a visiting professor of law, teaching “The Lawyer’s Role in Corporate Crisis Management”; “Supreme Court & Presidential Elections”; and “The Legacy of Bush v. Gore.”
Burson served as Tennessee’s attorney general as well as counsel and chief of staff to former vice president Al Gore.
After leaving the White House, Burson came to St. Louis to work as general counsel and executive vice president for Monsanto.
A member of the law school’s National Council, Burson is of counsel at Bryan Cave LLP. He recently directed the transition team for Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon.
Burson earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Michigan; a master’s degree from Cambridge University; and a juris doctorate from Harvard University.