Ronald Weich

Biography

Weich was named dean of the School of Law in 2012, following a lengthy career in government in which he served as an assistant attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice during the Obama administration and as chief counsel to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Weich began his legal career as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan. In 1987, he joined the staff of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, serving as its legislative liaison and representing the commission in federal courts throughout the country in litigation challenging the constitutionality of the Sentencing Reform Act. From 1990 to 1997, as general counsel to the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources and chief counsel to Sen. Kennedy on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Weich advised the senior senator from Massachusetts on civil and criminal justice issues, drug control policy, patient safety legislation, constitutional amendments and other matters. From 1997 to 2004, Weich was an attorney in private practice at Zuckerman Spaeder, a Washington, D.C.-based law firm with a highly regarded Baltimore office. As a partner in the firm's litigation department, Weich represented clients in courts, agencies and legislatures. Weich served as chief counsel to Sen. Reid from 2007 to 2009 and in a similar capacity when Reid was minority leader from 2005 to 2006. As principal legal adviser to the Democratic leader, Weich helped to manage Senate floor activity on Judiciary Committee bills and judicial nominations and coordinated related activities of the Democratic caucus. Weich played a key staff role in the enactment of the 2007 ethics reform law, the 2008 amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and other significant legislation. Weich was nominated to his post at the Justice Department in April 2009 and was confirmed the following month. As the assistant attorney general for legislative affairs, Weich developed and implemented strategies to advance the department's legislative priorities, coordinated the department's response to congressional oversight, and guided nominees through the Senate confirmation process. Among Weich's numerous professional affiliations, he has been a member of the advisory board of the Federal Sentencing Reporter, a trustee of the Vera Institute of Justice, a trustee of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and vice chair of government relations of the American Bar Association's Criminal Justice Section. He was named one of the 50 most influential congressional staff members by Roll Call (2007 to 2009) and one of the 105 most influential lawyers in the United States by the National Law Journal (1994). He has published numerous articles on federal sentencing and other criminal law topics.

Research Interest

 Criminal Justice Sentencing Law Federal Legislative Process