Ellen Deason has inspired enthusiasm among several decades of law students with her passion for teaching. After graduating from Carleton with a biology major, she earned a master’s degree in oceanography from Oregon State University and researched interactions among plankton in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. Next came a JD from the Michigan Law School and service as a judicial clerk, including for Justice Harry Blackmun of the Supreme Court.
After working in the Netherlands, Deason practiced law in Washington, D.C. She became a law professor in 1994 and landed at The Ohio State University in 2003, where she is currently a professor emerita. Her scholarship centers on the law of dispute resolution, especially the intersection of mediation with the justice system. Most recently she co-authored an examination of mediation through the lens of white supremacy. Her honors include an award for distinguished teaching; she credits Carleton for setting a high standard for teaching excellence. She lives in Columbus, Ohio.