Symeon C. Symeonides

Symeonides was born in Lythrodontas, Cyprus, in 1949.[2] He then attended Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki, Greece, where he studied law.[2] In 1972 he graduated first in his class with the highest grade point average in the history of the school.[3] He earned his degree in private law. The next year he received a degree in public law, graduating summa cum laude.[4] Symeonides then moved to the United States and attended Harvard Law School where he earned two degrees.[2] He received an LL.M. in 1974 and a DJS in 1980.[4] He is married to Haroula Symeonides.[5]

While still finishing his legal education at Harvard Law, Symeon Symeonides began working as an assistant professor and then associate professor at Louisiana State University Law Center.[2] In 1989, he became the Judge Albert Tate Professor of Law at LSU, teaching there until 1999.[2] While a professor he served as U.S. National Reporter to the International Congress of Comparative Law in 1994, and as Rapporteur Général in 1998.[4] During his time at LSU he also served as a vice chancellor.[2] Symeonides has also taught at Tulane University, Loyola University New Orleans, and his alma mater in Greece.[4]

In March 1999, Symeon C. Symeonides was hired as the dean at Willamette University’s law school located in Salem, Oregon,[6] and served in the position from July 1999–February 2011.[4] He is the Alex L. Parks Distinguished Professor of Law, Dean Emeritus.[3] In 2002, he gave the lecture for private international law at the annual meeting of The Hague Academy of International Law.[7] Held at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, he was the 18th American selected for the honor in the 78 years of the conference.[7] In Europe he has taught at Universite Paris V and Louvain-1a-Neuve.[2]

Other legal work has included law reform for the Oregon Law Commission, Louisiana State Law Institute, and Puerto Rican Academy of Legislation and Jurisprudence.[2][7][8] In 2006, he became president of the American Society of Comparative Law, an organization where he had previously served as secretary.[1] Symeonides is also a member of the American Law Institute, Bartolus Society, and Order of the Coif.[4] He has served as president of the Association of American Law Schools section on conflict of laws and as a member of the board of editors to the American Journal of Comparative Law.[4]

Symeonides resigned as dean at Willamette in February 2011, effective at the end of the academic year and was succeeded by Peter Letsou.[9]

• Cases and Materials on Conflict of Laws: American, Comparative and International. 2nd Edition, West Group 2003.[10]
• Conflict of Laws. 4th Edition, West Group 2004.[10]
• Law and Justices in a Multistate World: Essays in Honor of Arthur T. von Mehren. Transnational Publishers 2002: editor.[11]
• Private International law at the End of the 20th Century: Progress or Regress?. Kluwer Law International 1998: editor.

• Dean Symeon C. Symeonides - Willamette Lawyer