Peter Toll Hoffman joins Elon as professor of law and director of the legal skills program. Donald R. Dancer and John M. Flynn will serve as distinguished practitioners in residence. Douglas K. Chapman and David R. Maraghy will serve as visiting professors of law.
Peter Toll Hoffman
Professor of Law and Director of Legal Skills
One of the nation’s leading authorities on trial advocacy, depositions, and evidence, Peter T. Hoffman joined Elon Law after holding the Newell H. Blakely Chair in Evidence at the University of Houston Law Center from 2003 to 2011. At the Center, he served as Director of the Blakely Advocacy Institute from 2002 to 2009 and Director of Clinical Legal Education from 2005 to 2009.
Hoffman is co-author of the largest-selling book on deposition practice, The Effective Deposition: Techniques and Strategies That Work. He serves as a Program Director for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy (NITA) and is the recipient of the Robert Oliphant Service to NITA Award. He has delivered more than 450 Continuing Legal Education (CLE) presentations to date in 34 states and territories and in 14 countries.
From 1994 to 1996, Hoffman served as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Palau. An Academic Member of the International Society of Barristers, Hoffman is former Chair of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Section on Clinical Legal Education and the AALS Committee on Clinical Legal Education. He is a two-time Fulbright Senior Specialist, having taught law and advised on the establishment of trial advocacy programs in Hong Kong and India.
Hoffman received his juris doctor degree from the University of Michigan School of Law in 1971, cum laude, and his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University in 1968 with high honors. Following graduation, he practiced law in Chicago.
Hoffman served as a visiting professor at Elon Law during the 2008-2009 academic year. He has also taught at the University of Nebraska College of Law, City University of Hong Kong, University of San Diego, Washington University-St. Louis School of Law, University of Hawaii School of Law, University of Michigan School of Law, Chinese University Law School in Hong Kong, and West Bengal National University of Juridical Science in Kolkata, India.
Donald R. Dancer
Distinguished Practitioner in Residence
Donald R. Dancer is an accomplished business executive and former General Counsel for three international corporations. He is a member of Elon University School of Law’s national advisory board.
Dancer served at International Rectifier Corporation, a world leader in advanced power management semiconductor technology, from 2002 to 2009, as Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Acting Chief Executive Officer, and Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer.
At General Electric Company, Dancer served in several executive and counsel positions from 1980 to 2002, including General Counsel for GE Industrial Systems Solutions in Duluth, Georgia from 1998 to 2002, General Counsel for GE Power Controls in Barcelona, Spain from 1997 to 1998, Counsel, Asia Pacific Operations, for GE Information Services and GE Electrical Distribution & Control, in Hong Kong, from 1995 to 1997, and Senior Vice President and General Counsel for GE Fanuc Automation NA, Inc. in Charlottesville, Virginia from 1987 to 1995.
Dancer earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia and his juris doctor degree from DePaul University.
John M. Flynn
Distinguished Practitioner in Residence
Attorney John M. Flynn is a Director at Carruthers & Roth, PA in Greensboro, NC. He focuses his practice on debtor and creditors’ rights, loan workouts and other loan transactions. He is the firm’s chief counsel on matters in environmental law, working with clients to understand the implications of environmental laws on personal and business planning, business organization, real estate transactions and creditors’ rights. Flynn’s clients include national and state banks, insurance companies and institutional lenders.
After a decade of service at Carruthers & Roth, Flynn was elected managing director in 2003 and served until 2008. Before joining Carruthers & Roth, Flynn served for two years as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Hiram H. Ward (U.S. District Court, District of North Carolina). He has been recognized in Business North Carolina’s “Legal Elite” (2008, 2011).
Previously, Flynn served as a member of the extended faculty in legal writing at Elon Law. He also served as a preceptor at the law school, mentoring law students. Flynn received a bachelor’s degree magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Wake Forest University, where he also earned a juris doctor degree and served as articles editor for the Wake Forest Law Review.
Douglas K. Chapman
Visiting Professor of Law
Douglas K. Chapman is Professor of Law Emeritus at the University of Toledo College of Law, where he has been a faculty member since 1982. He teaches in the areas of Estate Planning, Federal Income Tax, Federal Estate & Gift Tax, and Trusts & Wills. He has also taught Corporate Tax and Property.
Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Toledo, Chapman taught at Southwestern University in Los Angeles, The University of Tulsa, and Ohio Northern University. He has also taught in the Capital Law School Graduate Tax Program.
Chapman has served as Associate Dean for Academics and Student Affairs at Toledo, Southwestern University and Ohio Northern University. He has been active in a number of professional and civic organizations including the Toledo Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association and the A.B.A. He is a graduate of Ohio State University (BS) and Ohio Northern University (JD).
David R. Maraghy
Visiting Professor of Law
David Maraghy is Chief Executive Officer of Sports Management International, LC, a professional sports management and marketing firm specializing in golf.
Maraghy served as the General Chairman of the PGA Tour Tournament, the1986 Greater Greensboro Open (GGO), which realized that year a record profit for charity in excess of $600,000. Following the GGO, Maraghy managed the affairs of PGA Tour professionals including Tom Kite, Lanny Wadkins, Davis Love, III, and Justin Leonard, and oversaw the Virginia State Open and its television broadcast.
Maraghy was the driving force behind the 1995 Hyundai Motor Golf Classic in Seoul, for which he brought to Korea for the first time PGA Tour professionals John Daly, Curtis Strange, Craig Stadler and Justin Leonard. He packaged that event for ESPN. Maraghy returned to Korea in 1996 for the Ssang Yong Securities Challenge, bringing Tom Watson, Corey Pavin, Sandy Lyle and Sam Torrance. Maraghy ran the 1996 Pepsi LPGA Skins Challenge in Richmond, VA. He created the Crown Royal Golf Championship in 1998, a televised event reaching over 10 million households and drawing players from several countries.
In 1999, Maraghy co-founded the VCU SportsCenter at Virginia Commonwealth University, a graduate program offering a Master’s Degree in Sport Leadership. He served as Executive Director of that program until 2002 when he returned full-time to the world of sports.
Maraghy’s company, SMI Productions, produces the live television broadcast of the SunTrust State Open of Virginia. Maraghy earned his bachelor’s degree from Williams College and his juris doctor degree from Wake Forest University School of Law.