Rate My Professor Caroleen Dineen

Caroleen Dineen is an Associate Professor of Law and Director of the Legal Method and Communication Program at Elon University School of Law. In this capacity, she oversees instruction in legal research, writing, and oral communication, encompassing first-year courses on reading authorities, statutory interpretation, and persuasive advocacy, as well as advanced writing requirements and residency projects. Dineen joined Elon Law in 2020 as an Assistant Professor in the legal writing program after directing the first-year Legal Research and Writing program at Florida A&M University College of Law, where she taught over 200 students in Legal Research and Writing I and II, plus electives in environmental law, legislation, legislative drafting, policy and advocacy drafting, interviewing, counseling, and negotiation. She served as interim director of the program for over a year before her permanent appointment and was promoted to associate professor by the Elon University Board of Trustees in February 2024.

Prior to academia, Dineen practiced law at Broad and Cassel in Florida and Gordon Thomas Honeywell in Washington state, addressing environmental and land use issues, and acted as senior counsel for the State of Washington House of Representatives. She holds a Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from the University of Washington, and a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in English and History from the University of Miami. Recognized as a 2020-21 Elon University Sustainability Faculty Scholar, she developed an Environmental Justice course integrating sustainability into legal and policy analysis. Her scholarship features the publication 'Stemming the "Red Tide": Legislative Approaches to Addressing the Contribution of Agricultural Nutrient Pollution to the Development and Consequences of Harmful Algal Blooms' in the Vermont Journal of Environmental Law (Spring 2023, Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 196-265). Recent research focuses on legislative solutions to nutrient pollution and harmful algal blooms. Dineen presented 'Learning with Our Students: Adjusting to Our Developing Understanding of the NextGen Bar Exam' at the 2024 AALS Conference and co-presented on professional identity development at the Western Regional Legal Writing Conference. She belongs to the Association of Legal Writing Directors and Legal Writing Institute.