Dennis Honabach

Dennis Honabach - Chase College of Law

Dean

Professor of Law

"Chase Law is a special place, a place where faculty and alumni work together to help Chase students and alumni succeed in the classroom and in the courtroom. I am proud to serve as dean of the law school. Still, I do miss not being in the classroom as much as I would like. There is nothing more exciting or rewarding than working with Chase law students as they undergo the transformation from law student to lawyer!"

  • Education

  • AB Economics, Bucknell University, cum laude
  • JD, Yale Law School

  • Courses Taught

  • Agency, Partnership & LLCs
  • Contracts I & II
  • Corporations
  • Torts I & II

Profile

Dean Honabach came to Chase from Washburn University School of Law, where he had served as dean and professor. Under his leadership, NKU/Chase has established the Center for Excellence in Advocacy, and the Transactional Law Practice Center. The law school has also developed the Pro Bono Program.

Dean Honabach received his JD from Yale University in 1973 and his AB in economics from Bucknell University, cum laude, in 1970. After graduation, he practiced law in Pittsburgh, PA with the law firm of Kirkpatrick, Lockhart, Johnson & Hutchison. He then joined the faculty at Vermont Law School and later the faculties of Rutgers-Camden School of Law and the District of Columbia School of Law. Dean Honabach served as president, dean, professor of law and founding director of the Entrepreneurial Law Center at Western State University College of Law from 1996-2001. He left Western State in 2001 to become the dean of the Washburn University School of Law.

He has co-authored books on directors and officers liability (D&O Liability Handbook, West Group 1994-2009 editions) and proxy rules (Proxy Rules Handbook, West Group 2001-2009 editions). He has published law review articles on topics ranging from managerial liability and Enron to toxic torts and nuisance law. He is secretary of the American Association of Law School's Section on Part-Time Education, and the Law School Admissions Council Test Development & Research Committee. He has previously served as the co-chair of the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar Clinical and Skills Education Committee and as a member of the of the Law School Admissions Council Services and Programs Committee. He is a member of the American Bar Association Business Law Section Business Law Education Committee and Salmon P. Chase Inn of Court.

Latest Publications

With Mark A. Sargent, D & O Liability Handbook, West Group (2009) (1994-2009 editions)

With Mark A. Sargent, Proxy Rules Handbook, West Publishers (2009) (2001-2009 editions)

Responding to 'Educating Lawyers': An Heretical Essay in Support of Abolishing Teaching Evaluations, 39 Toledo L. Rev. 311 (2008)

The Smith v. Van Gorkom Symposium - Smith v. Van Gorkom: Managerial Liability and Exculpatory Clauses - A Proposal to Fill the Gap of the Missing Officer Protection, 45 Washburn L.J. 307 (2006)

Centennial Issue and Now What?: An Essay Contemplating A Course For The Second Century Of The Washburn University School Of Law, 42 Washburn L.J. 947 (2004)

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