While Ian Rennie L’09 is joining the Whitman faculty this fall as an assistant professor of law and public policy in the Department of Management, he is already a familiar face on campus, having worked as an adjunct instructor since 2022. Now, he has assumed a full-time position to share more of his expertise on how the law is not just for the courtroom but often vital in the boardroom. 

A graduate of Syracuse University College of Law, Rennie has worked as a solo practitioner in private practice for 15 years focusing on trial litigation, where, in addition to his civil practice, he represented defendants in criminal jury trials and advocated for clients in appellate matters.

Rennie leads by example in his commitment to the local legal community, particularly through his involvement on the board of directors of the Onondaga County Assigned Counsel program, which provides legal representation for the Syracuse area’s indigent population. He has also been part of numerous committees focused on developing legal procedures to address evolving legal standards.

In 2023, he was elected town justice in DeWitt, New York. These judges handle cases ranging from criminal actions to landlord-tenant disputes, civil matters and code violations. In 2024, he was elected as president of the Onondaga County Magistrates’ Association, an organization charged with the education and development of over 50 town and village court judges presiding in the Central New York area.

Three years ago, when he was asked to join the Whitman School as an adjunct instructor, he thought it would be an excellent challenge to teach LPP 255: Introduction to the Legal System  to undergraduates. He will also begin teaching LPP 457: Commercial Transactions Law as part of his new position. During his time on campus, he has also been involved with the University’s Pre-Law Society and served as a final round judge for Whitman’s Capstone competition.

“I absolutely love working with undergrads, and the majority of students I’ve taught in the introductory law class were first-year students with fresh faces and a lot of energy,” he says. “I like passing along my knowledge of the law, and now, as a full-time faculty member, I will have the chance to expand my scope and dig deeper into some of the areas that both interest me and are an important foundation for any student planning a career in business, particularly constitutional, regulatory and intellectual property (IP) law, legal ramifications of emerging technology and more.”

“The law in a business setting rarely involves traditional courtroom drama, which I think is a little bit disappointing to some students,” he adds.

“Much of what they will encounter, however, is contracts and regulatory laws, so just being able to understand some of the language, where these laws and regulations come from and the process by which government agencies adjudicate these laws is such an advantage for them in their careers. Particularly when it comes to ever-changing technology, like AI, the law, agency and regulations are not going to stop evolving. So it’s a great advantage for Whitman students to have a modern legal perspective while understanding the history of how that law has developed.”

In addition, Rennie feels strongly about instilling the importance of societal ethics and morality when it comes to considering the law, and he hopes to prepare students to consider carefully the ethical challenges that impact the law, business and greater society.

As he begins the 2025-26 academic year, Rennie is excited to add the role of “assistant professor” to his diverse legal career.

“Since day one, I’ve been amazed by the quality of the Whitman students. They really impress me with their engagement and initiatives, not only in the classroom but on their own—from starting their own businesses to serving their communities,” he says.

“I hope that I can add to their already impressive achievements by giving them some guiding principles of the law that they can use to differentiate themselves in their own careers. It’s exciting to be a part of the Whitman community.”

By Caroline K. Reff