After more than four decades at the University of Kansas School of Law, Professor Richard Levy still remembers the first class he ever taught.

“It feels like yesterday,” Levy said of joining the KU Law faculty in 1985, just one year after graduating from law school and completing a federal clerkship. At the time, he was only a few years older than many of his students. 

Now, after 41 years of teaching and scholarship, Levy is retiring from KU Law, leaving behind generations of students, colleagues and alumni shaped by his thoughtful approach to the law and his enduring commitment to the university.

Levy’s path to KU Law began in Topeka, where he grew up before attending the University of Kansas. Initially studying German and history, he spent his junior year abroad in Germany through KU’s study abroad program, an experience that profoundly shaped his academic interests.

The trip sparked a love of language, culture and intellectual exploration that led him to pursue a master’s degree in German literature at KU so he could spend another year studying abroad.

After returning to the U.S., he discovered — not to his surprise — that a master’s degree from Germany did not open many doors for work in Kansas. He decided that a natural next step would be to apply to law school. Levy attended the University of Chicago Law School and discovered that the study of law suited him naturally. 

While clerking for Judge Richard Posner on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit after graduation, Levy realized what truly interested him was not simply representing clients, but the intellectual challenge of legal analysis itself.

“In practice, you have constraints of time and resources; your goal is to get it done quickly. I prefer trying to get it done right,” he said. “I liked the process of thinking through legal problems, solving them and trying to figure out how cases and statutes work together to produce some sort of coherent system.” 

That passion ultimately drew him to academia, and returning to Kansas felt equally natural.

“I loved my time at KU. I loved Lawrence,” he said. “It was hard to beat coming back home and being at KU.”

Over the course of his career, Levy taught a wide range of subjects, including Administrative Law, Constitutional Law and Legislation and Statutory Interpretation. Although he was originally hired to teach international and comparative law, he later transitioned into constitutional law after a faculty retirement reshaped the school’s needs.

The shift proved to be a perfect fit. In 2007, Levy was named the inaugural J.B. Smith Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law, one of the university’s highest academic honors recognizing national scholarly distinction.

Beyond the classroom, Levy became deeply involved in university governance and public service. He served as president of the KU Faculty Senate, chaired major university task forces on promotion and tenure policy, post-tenure review and dispute resolution procedures, and contributed extensively to the work of the Kansas Judicial Council. In recognition of his impact across the state, he received KU’s Steeples Award for Service to Kansas.

Yet colleagues and students alike often know Levy just as well for his personality as for his scholarship.

For decades, he has performed with the Moody Bluebooks, the law school’s faculty band famous for parody songs and Pub Night performances benefiting local causes. Levy, a longtime pianist who described himself as “the Weird Al Yankovic for law school,” said the group became one of the great joys of his career.

“It’s fun to write twisted lyrics for popular songs,” he said. “I get to indulge my sense of humor and engage in a sort of commentary on what it is to be a law student, law faculty member or a lawyer generally.”

His love for KU Law also became deeply personal. Over the years, Levy’s children spent time running through Green Hall’s hallways and stairwells while he worked nearby. His daughter later attended KU Law herself.

In the classroom, alongside his love for puns, Levy became known for emphasizing analytical thinking over rote memorization. He wanted students not simply to know the law but to learn how to use it.

“Being able to recite the rules is not enough; you need to be able to work with the rules,” he said.

As he reflects on a career spanning more than four decades, Levy says one of academia’s greatest gifts is the freedom to evolve.

“An academic career has many phases, and you won't always be interested in doing the same things or working on the same subject matter,” he said. “Embracing the things that interest you at the moment and pursuing them is the key to a long and happy career.” 

Above all, Levy says he leaves KU Law with gratitude and fond memories.

“I'm immensely grateful to my colleagues, my students and my deans for the opportunities and joy that I've had in pursuing my career over the years,” he said.

-By Casey Bacot