Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University Professor Leslie Y. Garfield Tenzer Recognized with 2024 Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching

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Professor Leslie Y. Garfield Tenzer has been named the recipient of Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University’s 2024 Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching. The Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes that outstanding pedagogy occurs in a variety of settings at the Law School—it can be found in courses of all sizes and types, in teachers with diverse styles, and across subject matters. Each spring, the Faculty Development Committee selects as a recipient of the award a member of the tenured or tenure-track faculty or a visiting professor with a contract longer than one year in duration. The award typically is based on the faculty member’s teaching during the current academic year.

Professor Alexander K.A. Greenawalt, chair of the Faculty Development Committee, remarked: “The award recognizes Professor Tenzer’s general excellence in teaching as well as her innovative and successful efforts to convert her first-year contracts course into an experiential learning format. In her practice-based course, Professor Tenzer gave her students the opportunity to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are integral to the legal profession. Professor Tenzer’s effort is inspiring and was well received by her students who thanked her at the end of the semester with a standing ovation.”

Professor Tenzer feels honored to have been selected by her peers to receive this recognition. “When I am teaching, my goal is always to fully engage my students and make the class as practical and useful as possible,” said Tenzer. “Converting my first-year contracts course into an experiential learning format allowed the students to learn how to resolve real life legal issues. Throughout the semester, there was a priority put on lawyering skills over memorization, which, as a bonus, is in line with the new format of the bar exam as well. It is fulfilling to know that my colleagues recognize the unique format this class took on.”

Professor Leslie Y. Garfield Tenzer is the Semicentennial Faculty Scholar at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. She served as the James D. Hopkins Professor of Law Chair from 2019–2021. Professor Tenzer's scholarship and teaching bridge the worlds of theory and practice, with a particular focus on regulating conduct in the digital age. Prior to coming to Haub Law, Professor Tenzer was a legislative attorney in the Legal Division of the Council of the City of New York. Her responsibilities included drafting legislation, organizing public hearings and coordinating with city agencies and interest groups on the city's legislative process. She currently teaches and writes in the areas of Commercial Law, including Contracts and UCC Article 2, Criminal Law, Torts and Social Media Law. Professor Tenzer's most recent scholarship focuses on legal issues concerning social media.

In addition to her regular teaching at Haub Law, Professor Tenzer is the host of two podcasts, Law to Fact, a podcast for students studying the law, and Legal Tenzer: Casual Conversations on Noteworthy Legal Topics. She frequently works with recent law graduates, court administrators, judges, lawyers, educators, legislative and executive branch officials on projects to improve the communication and administration of justice. She previously served as the chair of the AALS Section on Academic Support. Professor Tenzer has received several awards during her tenure at Pace, including the Goettel Prize for Faculty Scholarship (2020, 2012), the Ottinger Prize for Faculty Achievement (2012–2013; 2003–2004), and Professor of the Year (2014) (voted by the 2014 graduating class).