It's not the Law School deanship, but then again, oil spills have to be a heck of a lot more interesting than reading tenure applicants' scholarly works.

So Byrne Professor of Administrative Law Richard B. Stewart--once a top candidate to succeed former dean James Vorenberg '49--was probably more than satisfied with the not-so-lesser Justice Department position he accepted in August, as assistant attorney general for environmental affairs.

At the conspicuously progressive Law School, Stewart made waves when he supported Supreme Court nominee Judge Robert H. Bork and opposed a tenure offer to radical contracts scholar Clare Dalton.

But Stewart, a highly respected scholar, found Congress a little more friendly. His Justice Department nomination sailed through the Senate two weeks ago, with politicos on both sides supporting his "middle-of-the-road," free-market approach to environmental regulation.

Stewart has taken a leave of absence from the Law School for the time being. Like many of his colleagues who have spent similar stints in Washington--including Carter Professor of General Jurisprudence and former Solicitor General Charles L. Fried--Stewart is expected to return to the Law School after his term at Justice.

Meanwhile, Stewart is heading up a team of several hundred lawyers responsible for prosecuting corporations and individuals who violate environmental laws.

The prospective litigation might seem a little boring, but Stewart should at least enjoy the job's "field work."

He was last seen knee-deep in the muck at Prince Williams Sound, Alaska, checking out the damage from the Exxon Valdez oil spill.