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UC Irvine Law School Considers Ex-Con For Teaching Gig

William Lerach, a former partner at Millberg Wies Bershad Hynes & Lerach (now Millberg LLP) who was released from prison last month after two years, is being considered by the University of California, Irvine School of Law to teach an upper-level course in 2011.

A spokesman for UC Irvine confirmed to the National Law Journal that it may add a course Lerach is developing called “Regulation of Free Market Capitalism – Why Have We Failed.”  In an interview with the San Diego Union Tribune, Lerach said he hopes teaching the course would count towards the 1,000 hours of community service that is required as part of his sentence. Lerach was released from prison after two years on March 8 following a guilty plea back in 2007 to one count of conspiracy for providing kickbacks to plaintiffs in class action suits.

As for his potential teaching gig, Lerach told the Union-Tribune he expects to “lecture at other law schools” and participate “in the ongoing debate about the need for better and more effective financial regulation and protection for investors.”

Lerach was one of four former partners at Millberg that received prison sentences of between six months and 2 1/2 years for the kickback scheme.

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