Charles Ares

Charles Ares was a prominent figure in legal education at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, serving as Dean, Professor, and Professor Emeritus. Born in 1926 in southern Arizona, he graduated from Tucson High School and enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 17. At age 20, he enrolled at the University of Arizona, majoring in political science before entering the College of Law in 1949. He earned his Juris Doctor in 1952 with top marks and acclaim for representing Arizona in the 1951 National Trial Team Competition in New York City. After graduation, Ares clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas from 1952 to 1953. Returning to Tucson, he established a private law practice and served as deputy Pima County attorney, partnering with Morris K. Udall (Class of 1949) and Stewart Udall (Class of 1948). In 1961, he joined the faculty at New York University School of Law, remaining until 1966.

In 1966, Ares became Dean of the University of Arizona College of Law, serving until 1973. During his deanship, he recruited young scholars such as Andrew Silverman, Arthur W. Andrews, and Boris Kozolchyk to build the college's academic reputation, expanded student practice opportunities, and diversified the student body by admitting more women and students of color. He returned to the full-time faculty in 1973, teaching Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Remedies, and a First Amendment seminar until his retirement as Professor Emeritus. Ares was recognized for his sharp analysis of U.S. Supreme Court and Arizona Supreme Court decisions. His publications include Constitutional Criminal Law (1974), Civil Disorders, Lawlessness, and Their Roots (1969), Law and Society: An Introduction (1968), and Legal Education and the Problem of the Poor (1965). His legacy endures through the Ares Fellows Writing Program, Charles E. Ares Professorship, and Charles and Jean Ares Scholarship established in 2017. Ares passed away on April 29, 2020, in Tucson at age 93.