H. Reese Hansen

Professor H. Reese retired in 2012 after 38 years of service to the BYU Law School. Prior to his retirement, Hansen served as President of the Association of American Law Schools and as a member of the Utah Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Professionalism. Professor Hansen was Dean of the Law School from 1990 to 2004 and Associate Dean from 1976 to 1989. He has previously served on the Executive Committee of the Association of American Law Schools, as a member of the Utah Judicial Council Ad Hoc Committee on Probate Law and Procedure, Director of the Association of Religiously Affiliated Law Schools, Trustee of Utah Legal Services, Inc., and Trustee of the Law School Admission Council. He made significant contributions as a Commissioner on the Commission on Uniform State Laws and was an ex-officio Commissioner of the Utah Bar.

Internationally, Professor Hansen was a member of the Foreign Law Initiative Law School Advisory Committee and of the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee for the Sister Law School Program of the Central and East European Law Initiative of the American Bar Association.

Before joining the BYU Law School faculty, Professor Hansen practiced law in Salt Lake City, Utah.

About the Howard W. Hunter Professorship

Howard W. Hunter, former President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, superbly represented the professional excellence and personal qualities for which the Law School stands. By memorializing the outstanding accomplishments and values of President Hunter’s life, this Professorship expands the impact of his personal example upon faculty and students.

President Hunter said, “What a blessing it would be for the American people to be served by lawyers, both men and women, of whom it could be said, ‘they are honest, good, and wise lawyers.’ I believe that in these times, lawyers like this should be sought for diligently.

“Not only would lawyers of this kind bless the lives of their clients, but I also believe they would play an important indirect role by influencing our entire society to remember the conditional nature of the Lord’s promise of freedom in this land.”

As President of the Church, President Hunter invited Church members to “live with ever more attention to the life and example of the Lord Jesus Christ, especially the love and hope and compassion He displayed.” 

Howard W. Hunter has been an example for many, and his life is worthy of emulation by all who work and study at the law school.