Myles Lynk
-
Phone: 602-496-7472
-
-
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law 111 E Taylor Street -- Mail Code 9520 Phoenix, AZ 85004-4467
-
Mail code: 9520Campus: Dtphx
-
Myles V. Lynk is the dean of and an Emeritus Professor in the ASU Emeritus College. He is an Emeritus Professor in the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, where he was the first Peter Kiewit Foundation Professor of Law and the Legal Profession in the college. He has specialized in civil procedure, professional responsibility and business organizations. In addition, with ASU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute and Barrett, the Honors College, Professor Lynk has taught seminars on the tension between social responsibility and personal autonomy in "The Iliad of Homer."
Professor Lynk came to ASU in 2000 as a visiting scholar from practice. Prior to coming to ASU, he was a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of a large national law firm, served on the White House Domestic Policy Staff in the Carter Administration and was a law clerk to Judge Damon J. Keith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. A past president of the District of Columbia Bar, Professor Lynk served from 2019 through 2022 as the Senior Assistant Disciplinary Counsel for appellate litigation in the District of Columbia Courts’ Office of Disciplinary Counsel. In the 2023 fall semester, Professor Lynk was the Robert W. Foster Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law at the University of South Carolina Joseph F. Rice School of Law, where he taught 1L civil procedure, an upper-level seminar on advanced professional responsibility, and organized and keynoted the South Carolina Law Review’s symposium on the future of legal ethics and professional regulation. In the fall 2023 semester, Professor Lynk was a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Michigan State University College of Law. In spring 2024, Professor Lynk returned to the ASU Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law to teach professional responsibility.
During his tenure as a member of the College of Law’s full-time faculty, Professor Lynk also held appointments as an Honors Faculty Fellow in Barrett, the Honors College; as Scholar-in-Residence at the ASU Center for the Study of Race and Democracy; as a Senior Fellow in the Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics (where his research focused on the tension between a lawyer’s ethical duties to clients, personal self-interest and responsibilities to the public); and as a sustainability scientist in the ASU Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation. In 2009, Professor Lynk delivered the Donohoe Forum lectures of the Arizona Ecumenical Council on the ethical issues presented by the Great Recession of 2008-09. He has held visiting professorships in law at Duke University and George Washington University. In 2014 Professor Lynk was a Visiting Fellow at Magdalene College, University of Cambridge, England, and a visitor to the Faculty of Law at the University of Cambridge, where his research focused on a comparative analysis of the differences in theory and practice of how the legal profession is regulated in the United Kingdom and the United States. His public lecture to the Cambridge Faculty of Law was on the evolution of the doctrine of judicial review of legislation by the U.S. Supreme Court, from its discussion in The Federalist No. 78, to its initial application in Marbury v. Madison, to its use by the Supreme Court today. Professor Lynk has lectured widely on legal ethics and professional discipline, including to the U.S. Naval Justice School, the Ethics Summit of the National Attorneys General Training and Research Institute, the International Conference of Legal Regulators, the National Organization of Bar Counsel, the Bar Services Board in the United Kingdom, and the Judicial Conference of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He participated in the 2005 Transatlantic Corporate Governance Dialogue and the 2015 Northwestern University Securities Regulation Institute.
From 2004 through 2010, Professor Lynk served at the behest of ASU President Michael Crow as ASU’s NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative, responsible for certifying the academic eligibility of ASU’s intercollegiate student-athletes. In 2005, President Crow tasked Professor Lynk with leading the university’s investigation into the shooting death of a graduate student by an undergraduate student-athlete. This resulted in the so-called Lynk Report (formally titled, "An Investigation into Issues Raised by the Tragedy of March 26, 2005, Including Recommended Changes in University Policy and Procedures” (July 2005)), which recommended numerous changes to improve campus safety at ASU that were implemented by the university administration. In April 2007, Professor Lynk and ASU Women’s Basketball Head Coach Charli Turner Thorne published a letter in the Arizona Republic which was co-signed by more than 60 ASU faculty, coaches and administrators, in support of the Rutgers University Women’s Basketball team, whose Black players had been referred to in racially derogatory terms by a radio talk show host.
Professor Lynk also served ASU as a member of the President’s Academic Council, as a member of two provost’s Regents Professor Nomination Committees and, most recently, as a member of a President’s Professor Advisory Panel. In 2015, Professor Lynk was an advisor to the University Faculty Senate President on the revisions to ASU’s academic policy ACD 402, which addresses personal relationships between faculty and students. In the College of Law, Professor Lynk served as the Dean’s Designee for student disciplinary matters, as a faculty advisor to numerous student organizations including the John P. Morris Black Law Students Association and the ASU Sports and Entertainment Law Journal and initiated the creation of the ASU Corporate and Business Law Journal.
Professor Lynk’s teaching and research are informed by his professional service. He was appointed by then Chief Justice of the United States William Rehnquist to two terms on the Civil Rules Advisory Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States and chaired the Advisory Committee’s Discovery Rules Subcommittee. In 2004, Professor Lynk was a fellow on U.S. Senator John Kyl’s Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Homeland Security of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Professor Lynk served as a member of the National Advisory Commission on Addiction Treatment of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. The Commission’s Report, "Addiction Medicine: Closing the Gap Between Science and Medicine," was published in June 2012. He has served pro bono as the legal ethics consultant to the District of Columbia Office of Attorney General.
In the American Bar Association (“ABA”), Professor Lynk chaired the ABA’s Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice (where he focused on the legal issues surrounding income inequality and poverty in the US); was a co-founder and initial chair of the Committee on Community Economic Development of the ABA’s Business Law Section; and chaired the Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility (where he pushed to add discrimination and sexual harassment to the Model Rules of Professional Conduct as forms of professional misconduct), the Standing Committee on Professional Discipline (where he sought to add safeguards in the Model Code of Judicial Conduct to protect the independence of elected judges) and the Special Committee on Bioethics and the Law (where he helped organize the 2001 conference at Tuskegee University on bioethics, minorities and the law. He served for many years on the U.S. Indian Health Service’s Phoenix- area Institutional Review Board (IRB) which monitors human subjects research in American Indian communities in Arizona, Nevada and Utah, and helped revise this IRB’s Procedural Guidelines). In 2015, Professor Lynk participated in the deliberations that resulted in, and was one of the 15 signatories to, the Joint Statement on Eliminating Bias in the Criminal Justice System of the American Bar Association and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. In 2018, Professor Lynk brought the annual Ethics Summit of the Center for Ethics and Public Integrity of the National Association of Attorneys General to the ASU College of Law. This was the first time this event, attended by attorneys from all over the United States, was held at a law school.
Professor Lynk has served on the Board of Directors of the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy, the Board of Governors of the American Bar Association, the governing Council of the American Law Institute, and on the Chandler, Arizona, Human Relations Commission. He is a recipient of the Faculty of the Year Award from the ASU College of Law Alumni Association, the ABA’s Spirit of Excellence Award and Father Robert F. Drinan Award, ASU’s Excellence in Diversity Award, the Arizona Black Bar Association’s Excellence in Diversity Award, and the State Bar of Arizona’s Award for Service to the Legal Profession.
- J.D., Harvard Law School (1976)
- A.B., cum laude, Harvard College (1971)
Admitted to the Bar:
State of New York, since 1977 Commonwealth of Massachusetts, since 1979 District of Columbia, since 1982.
BOOKS
- Robert N. Clinton, Kevin Gover & Myles Lynk, Law and the Regulatory State (Arizona State University College of Law 2003).KF425 C54 2003
- A Guide to the Protection of Human Research Subjects: Selected Resources (American Bar Association 2001).K3601 A12 A12 2001
- Tom Willging & Myles Lynk, Special Masters and Court Appointed Experts: Incidence and Activity, Report to the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules and Its Subcommittee on Special Masters (Committee on Civil Rules 2000).KF8961 Z9 W55 2000
- Myles Lynk & Michael R. Geroe, Preparing for '96 : a Guide to Federal Election Campaign Laws for Corporations and Individuals (Dewey Ballantine 1995).KF4920 L96 1995
- Self-determination and Representation: the Participation of National Liberation Movements as Observers in the Work of the United Nations (Harvard University 1976).
ARTICLES
- Implications of the UK Legal Services Act 2007 for US Law Practice and Legal Ethics, 23 Professional Lawyer 1 (2015).
KF300.A1 P76 Online - Charles Geyh, Myles Lynk, Robert S. Peck & The Honorable Toni Clarke, The State of Recusal Reform from the Syposium Issue: Courts, Campaigns, and Corruption: Judicial Recusal Five Years After Caperton, 18 N.Y.U. J. Legis. & Pub. Pol'y 515 (2015).
- Paula J. Frederick, Analysis of Proposed Amendments to Rule 2.11(A)(4) and Related Comments of the Model Code of Judicial Conduct, American Bar Association, Center for Professional Responsibility (August 2013).
- ASU professor: N-word transcends history, The State Press: Arizona State University (10/02/2013).
- Excerpts from new biography on Detroit Judge Damon J. Keith give peek into history, Detroit Free Press (12/01/2013).
- It’s Not Dead Yet, Simple Justice (11/19/2013).
- Stephen P. Younger, The Need for Guidelines for an International Regulatory Information Exchange for State and Territorial Courts In Cooperation with their Foreign Regulatory Counterparts, American Bar Association, Center for Professional Responsibility (August 2013).
- Reaffirming the Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions While Severing from the Standards and from ABA policy the Commentary Accompanying the Standards, American Bar Association, Center for Professional Responsibility (February 2012).
- Susan M. Allan et. al., Incident at Airport X: Quarantine Law and Limits, 35 J. L. Med. & Ethics 117 (2007).
Keycite | Full Text via HeinOnline - Myles Lynk et al., Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure - Conference on Electronic Discovery - Panel Seven: Rulemaking and E-discovery: Is There a Need to Amend the Civil Rules?, 73 Fordham L. Rev. 119 (2004).
Keycite | Full Text via HeinOnline - ERISA Preemption and the Legal Liability of HMOs: Possibilities for Change, 90 J. Nat’l Med. Ass’n. 645 (1998).
R 15 .J6x - Medicare+Choice: “Arguably the Most Significant Change in the Medicare Program Since 1965”, 90 J. Nat’l Med. Ass’n. 585 (1998).
R 15 .J6x - Obtaining Judicial Review of a Managed Care Plan's Refusal to Pay, 90 J. Nat’l Med. Ass’n. 749 (1998).
R 15 .J6x - Physician Contracts With Practice Management Companies, 90 J. Nat’l Med. Ass’n. 527 (1998).
R 15 .J6x - The Organization and Operation of a Corporate Political Action Committee, 44 Prac. Law. 39 (1998).
K16.R33
Keycite - A Sense of Community, 11 Wash. Law. 6 (1997).
K27 A727 - Experience and Opportunity, 11 Wash. Law. 6 (1997).
K27 A727 - Hope and Experience, 11 Wash. Law. 6 (1997).
K27 A727 - Your Bar and You, 10 Wash. Law. 6 (1996).
K27 A727 - Regulating Political Activity: Notes on a Hypothetical Statute to Regulate Presidential Primary and General Election Campaigns, 8 J. L. & Pol 259 (1992).
SSRN | Full Text via HeinOnline - Myles Lynk, reporter for panel, International Human Rights and U.S. Courts: Might Congress and Other Legislatures Nurture Needed Change?, 81 Am. Soc’y Int’l L. Proc. 445 (1990).
Full Text via HeinOnline
PRESENTATIONS
- “Judicial Review of Congressional Legislation in the Supreme Court of the United States: Current Issues and Concerns,” , Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge, May 29, 2014.
- “Whose Choice? Multijurisdictional Practice and the Ethics 20/20 Commission’s ‘Choice of Conflict of Interest Rule’ Amendment to the Model Rules,” , 2013 Symposium of the Miller-Becker Center for Professional Responsibility, University of Akron School of Law, Akron, OH, April 5, 2013.
- “Rules and Their Consequences: Legal Ethics in Theory and Practice,” , Duke University School of Law, Durham, NC, March 4, 2013.
- Legal Ethics and Sophocles’ Antigone, CLE Presentation in Legal Ethics, Arizona State University College of Law, CLE Program, Phoenix, Arizona, February 22, 2013.
- Rules and Their Consequences: Legal Ethics in Theory and Practice, Duke University School of Law, Durham, North Carolina, March 4, 2013.
- Leadership Lessons From Homer’s Iliad, State Bar of Arizona, Bar Leadership Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, May 18, 2012.
- Moral Authority and Bar Leadership, State Bar of Arizona, Bar Leadership Institute, Phoenix, Arizona, October 19, 2012.
- The ABA Model Rules for Lawyer Disciplinary Enforcement: A Look Back and Plans for the Future, 2012 ABA National Conference on Professional Responsibility, Boston, Massachusetts, May 31, 2012.
- Arguments Against Permitting Advance Waivers of Lawyers’ Potential Conflicts of Interest Under Rule 1.7 of the Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Presentation to the ABA Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, Tucson, Arizona, April, 2009.
- Conflict or Community? The Rule of Law and the Role of Lawyers, Barrett, the Honors College, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, April 2009.
- Legal Ethics, University Counsel and the Difficult Discrimination Claim, CLE Workshop for the National Association of College and University Attorneys, Tempe, Arizona, March, 2009.
- The New Role of Corporate Governance – Transatlantic Corporate Governance Dialogue, Co-Sponsored by the European Corporate Governance Institute, Columbia University Law School & The Brookings Institution, New York, New York, September, 2009.
- And Now for Plan B: Government Intervention, Corporate Governance and the Management of Risk by Financial Institutions in a Market Economy, Arizona State University College of Law, Tempe, Arizona, October 2008.
- Choice and Opportunity: Black Lawyers and Corporate Law Firms, Arizona State University College of Law, Tempe, Arizona, October 2008.
- Choice and Opportunity: Race, Politics and the Practice of Law: The impact of Barack Obama’s experiences as a lawyer and his candidacy for President on the Recruitment and Retention of African-American Lawyers in Majority Law Firms and Corporate Law Departments, ABA Section of Law Practice Management, Tucson, Arizona, October 2008.
- The General Counsel’s Role in Corporate Governance, J. Reuben Clark Law Society International Conference, Arizona State University College of Law, Tempe, Arizona, February 15, 2008.
- The Sub-Prime Mortgage Crisis: Lessons in Corporate Governance and Federal Regulation, Arizona State University College of Law, Tempe, Arizona, April 2008.
- What Went Wrong? Ethical Issues and the Economic Crisis, Hillel Society Symposium, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, November 2008.
- Corporate Directors and the Business Judgment Rule, Presentation to the Board of Directors of Dendreon Corporation, Scottsdale, Arizona, 2007.
- Certain Provisions of The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, Corporate General Counsel Symposium, Phoenix, Arizona, 2003.
- Legal Education and its Relevance to the Practice of Law, Cornell University Law School, Ithaca, New York, May 2002.
- The Advocate's Search for Meaning: The Relationship Between Legal Education and the Practice of Law, Kiewit Foundation Lecture, Arizona State University College of Law, Tempe, Arizona, January 2001.
- Representing Business Clients Before Federal Administrative Agencies: A Dual Relationship, Panel Presentation, "Law Practice Before Administrative Agencies: A Canada/U.S. Comparison," Committee on Counsel Responsibility, Section on Business Law, American Bar Association Annual Meeting, Toronto, Ontario, August 1998.
- Tangled Loyalties: Conflicts of Interest in the Real World, Panelist, Fellows Seminar at the American Bar Foundation 42nd Annual Meeting, Nashville, Tennessee, January 31, 1998.
- Medical Practice in a Managed Care Environment: Issues to Consider, National Medical Association Program in Continuing Medical Education, Chicago, Illinois, July 27, 1996.
- The Impact of the New Federal Rules of Civil Procedure: Uniformity vs. Diversity Among the Federal District Courts, Developments in Commercial Litigation Seminar, National Bar Association Commercial Law Section, Washington, D.C., May 1, 1995.
- Lant,Timothy W*, Basile,George Matthew, Hodge,James, Jehn,Megan L, Kim,Yushim, Lynk,Myles V, Marchant,Gary E. Building evidence for legal decision-making in real time: Legal triage during declared emergencies. RWJF(12/1/2009 - 5/31/2011).
Courses
2025 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
LAW 638 | Professional Responsibility |
LAW 735 | Teaching Assistant |
LAW 638 | Professional Responsibility |
2024 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
LAW 781 | Independent Study |
2024 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
LAW 638 | Professional Responsibility |
LAW 735 | Teaching Assistant |
2023 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
LAW 781 | Independent Study |
2023 Summer
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
LAW 781 | Independent Study |
2022 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
LAW 781 | Independent Study |
2022 Summer
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
LAW 781 | Independent Study |
2021 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
LAW 781 | Independent Study |
2021 Summer
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
LAW 781 | Independent Study |
2020 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
LAW 781 | Independent Study |
2020 Summer
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
LAW 781 | Independent Study |
2020 Spring
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
LAW 781 | Independent Study |
2019 Fall
Course Number | Course Title |
---|---|
LAW 781 | Independent Study |
LAW 781 | Independent Study |
Spirit of Excellence Award, American Bar Association, 2013
Service to the Legal Profession Award, State Bar of Arizona, 2001
Excellence in Diversity Award, Arizona Black Bar Association, 2018
American Bar Association
American Law Institute
Council on Foreign Relations
Past President, District of Columbia Bar
Chair, Section of Civil Rights and Social Justice, Human Chair, Standing Committee om Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility, American Bar Assoc., 2014-2017.
Chair, Standing Committee on Lawyer Regulation, American Bar. Assoc., 2010-2013.
Member, National Advisory Commission on Addiction Treatment, Canter of Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, 2008-2012.
President, District of Columbia Bar, 1996-1997.