Stephen M. Sheppard
Stephen M. Sheppard (born 1963) is Professor of Law, Dean Emeritus, and Charles E. Cantú Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus at St. Mary's University School of Law, in San Antonio, Texas. Education. Sheppard received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Southern Mississippi followed by a J.D., L.L.M., and his doctorate, J.S.D., from Columbia University. He has also received a post-J.D. certificate in International Law from Columbia University and was made Master of Letters by Oxford University. Scholarship. Sheppard is a legal historian, with a focus on the development of the common law  and of legal institutions, particularly legal education in the United States. His work in the law has been cited by courts including the Utah Supreme Court, (in "State v. Reyes", 116 P.3d 305 (2005)) which changed the burden of proof for felonies in Utah citing Sheppard's law review article, "The Metamorphoses of Reasonable Doubt: How Changes in the Burden of Proof Have Weakened the Presumption of Innocence". Dr. Sheppard is credited as the General Editor of a revised edition of the American legal dictionary by John Bouvier, "The Wolters Kluwer Bouvier Law Dictionary". As an editor, he has prepared  new editions of several law books, including the "Opera Omnia" of John Selden, "Bramble Bush" by Karl Llewellyn, and "Introduction to the Legal System of the United States" by E. Allan Farnsworth. Professional career. A member of the State Bar of Texas and the Mississippi Bar, Sheppard is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Tax Court. Until 2014, he was the William H. Enfield Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Arkansas School of Law, where he was also the Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development.