School of Law

A national expert in the area of property law, R. Wilson Freyermuth joined the law faculty in 1992 and teaches in the areas of property, real estate, secured transactions and local government.

“Professor Freyermuth is a versatile teacher who is able to reach different groups of students in these different courses and who effectively conveys both the subject matter in question and his passion and respect for the subject matter,” says R. Lawrence Dessem, dean and professor of law.

Students and faculty applaud Freyermuth’s commitment to his students and their education. “He creates a nonthreatening environment but is not at all soft on the students; rather, he is rigorous and does not let those he has called on off the hook too easily,” says a colleague.

Says a former student: “Professor Freyermuth can and will explain a legal principle five different ways to ensure that every person in the room understands. He gives examples, asks hypothetical questions, uses diagrams, tells stories and references book materials. I think his students and colleagues would be astounded by the amount of time he dedicates to teaching.”

While legal academia has been slow to embrace technology in the classroom, Freyermuth routinely integrates it into his teaching through the use of PowerPoint, e-mail, blogging, smart board, video technology and the Web. He was named by the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI) as its property fellow in 2000. The computer-based learning exercises that he created for CALI have been distributed nationally and are used at law schools across the country. Additionally, the textbook he co-wrote titled Property and Lawyering also is used nationally.

The MU School of Law has recognized his achievements in the classroom and awarded him the Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award. He also was named the Phi Alpha Delta Teacher of the Year.

Outside of the academic setting, Freyermuth is just as generous with his time. He makes a concerted effort to get to know his students personally, often inviting small groups of students to join him for lunch or coffee.

Freyermuth earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1984 at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and a JD with highest honors in 1987 from Duke University.