Melissa H. Weresh is a Dwight D. Opperman Distinguished Professor of Law at Drake University Law School where she has been teaching since 1997. Professor Weresh is the recipient of the 2009 American Inns of Court Warren E. Burger Prize, the 2017 Thomas F. Blackwell Memorial Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Legal Writing, and the 2023 Linda Berger Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Legal Writing Scholarship. She is a Past President of the Legal Writing Institute, Past Chair of the AALS Section on Teaching Methods, and Past Chair of the Professionalism Section of the Iowa Bar Association. She is also past editor of both the Journal of Legal Education and Legal Communication and Rhetoric: JALWD.
Her scholarly interests range from politics to professionalism, and from persuasion to pedagogy. Prior to joining the Drake law faculty, she practiced law in Ohio, specializing in environmental law. Professor Weresh received her JD from the University of Iowa and her BA from Wake Forest University.
Areas of Expertise
Legal Writing, Appellate Advocacy, Ethical Regulation, Professional Identity Formation
Education
JD, University of Iowa College of Law, Order of the Coif, Law Review
BA, Wake Forest University, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
