Brandeis Dean Lars Smith's juggling skills come in handy during interim role

Brandeis School of Law's Lars S. Smith holds the Samuel J. Stallings Chair in Law, teaching in the areas of intellectual property and commercial law. He considers juggling to be one of his hidden talents. 

That skill will come in especially handy as he serves as interim dean of the law school through the end of December.

Smith joined the Brandeis Law faculty in 2000, teaching courses such as Intellectual Property Survey, Trademark Law, Business Planning, Law and Economics, Property and Secured Transactions. He is particularly interested in helping students build practice skills, and so incorporates various practice-based exercises in his Trademark Law and Business Planning courses.

In 2012, Smith received the University of Louisville Distinguished Faculty Award in Teaching. In 2011, he received a Fulbright Scholarship Award to teach at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Wuhan, China, where he taught Chinese Masters of Law students about U.S. intellectual property law.

Smith's scholarship focuses on issues related to intellectual property, commercial law and technology. His work has focused on the challenge of applying existing intellectual property legal structures on new technologies.

Smith took some time to talk to UofL News about his hidden talents, advice for law students and more.

UofL News: What was your best summer job?
Smith: I was an ordinary seaman on a chemical tanker the summer before I started college. The S.S. Bow Star left Philadelphia and went to Holland, England, Belgium and sailed through the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal to Kenya, Mozambique and South Africa. I was the youngest person on board and chipped rusted paint and helped load and unload chemicals. 

UofL News: What's your favorite Louisville restaurant?
Smith: Jack Fry's and Lilly's Bistro. 

UofL News: What might people be surprised to know about you?
Smith: I can juggle. I can spin a Frisbee on my finger. As long as it's solid, I can spin about anything.

UofL News: What class impacted you the most when you were in law school?
Smith: Contracts and Secured Transactions. I had the same professor for both: Susan Finneran. She was really engaging. I probably model my teaching after her the most.

UofL News: What advice do you have for law students today?
Smith: Put in the time. There are some people who are innately good at studying at the last minute. Those are few and far between. Put in the time.