Biography
Professor Wendel was born and raised in Webster Groves, Missouri, and attended the
University of Chicago, where he graduated in 1979 with a BS in Political Science.
He earned a master's in Urban Affairs from St. Louis University, and then promptly
returned to the University of Chicago where he received his JD in 1983.
Professor Wendel began his legal career in 1983 in St. Louis. After four years, he
returned to the University of Chicago as a Bigelow Instructor and Lecturer in Law.
He served for three years as an assistant professor at St. Louis University School
of Law before joining the Pepperdine faculty in 1991. Professor Wendel has been a
regular visitor at UCLA School of Law, Santa Clara University School of Law, Loyola
University of Los Angeles School of Law, and the University of Augsberg, Germany,
School of Law. In winter 2012 Professor Wendel received an honorary Ph.D. from the
University of Augsburg. A member of the Illinois, Missouri, and American Bar Associations,
Professor Wendel teaches primarily in the Property and Wills, and Trusts and Estates
areas of law. The aspect of teaching that he enjoys the most is the constant intellectual
challenge inherent in legal analysis.
Professor Wendel has published a number of books, including: Deconstructing Legal
Analysis: A 1L Primer (Aspen); A Possessory Estates and Future Interests Primer (3rd
ed. West); Emanuel's Wills, Trust and Estate (Aspen); and Exam-Pro Property (West).
Professor Wendel recently completed his first casebook, with his esteemed colleague
Professor Popovich, entitled California Wills and Trusts: Cases, Statutes, Problems
& Materials (Carolina Academic Press 2017). In addition, three of Professor Wendel's
more recent law review articles include: "Wills Act Compliance and the Harmless Error
Approach: Flawed Narrative Equals Flawed Analysis?", 93 Oregon Law Review 337 (2017);
"Shaping Society and Economy Through Law-Common Law vs. Civil Law: An 'Enlightening'
Case Study," Augsburger Rechtsstudien (2012); and "Protecting Newly Discovered Antiquities:
Thinking Outside the 'Fee Simple' Box," 76 Fordham Law Review 1015 (November 2007).
Education
- J.D., University of Chicago Law School, 1983, cum laude
- M.A., St. Louis University, 1980
- B.S., University of Chicago, 1979, cum laude
Articles
- Peter T. Wendel, Testamentary Transfers and the Intent versus Formalities Debate:
The Case for a 'Charitable' Common Ground, 69 U. KAN. L. REV. 249 (2020) SSRN
- Peter T. Wendel, Wills Act Compliance and the Harmless Error Approach: Flawed Narrative
Equals Flawed Analysis?, 95 OR. L. REV. 337 (2017) HeinOnline
- Peter T. Wendel, Wills Act Compliance - Strict Compliance vs. Substantial Compliance/Harmless
Error: Flawed Narrative = Flawed Analysis?, May/June 2017 PROBATE & PROPERTY (Magazine
of the Real Property, Trust and Estate Law Section, American Bar Association)
- Peter T. Wendel, Distressed Cities and Urban Farming: Are We Making a Mountain Out
of a Molehill?, 91 U. DET. MERCY L. REV. 277 (2014) HeinOnline
- Peter T. Wendel, Shaping Society and Economy Through Law - Common Law vs. Civil Law:
An 'Enlightening' Case Study, published in Gerechtigkeitsfragen in Gesellschaft und
Wirtschaft, 75 Augsburger Rechtsstudien 41 (2013) (edited by Prof. Dr. Arnd Koch and
Prof. Dr. Matthias Rossi)
- Peter T. Wendel, California Probate Code Section 6110(C)(2): How Big is the Hole in
the Dike?, 41 SW. L. REV. 387 (2012) SSRNHeinOnline
- Peter T. Wendel, The Succession Rights of Adopted Adults: Trying to Fit a Square Peg
into a Round Hole, 43 CREIGHTON L. REV. 815 (2010) SSRNHeinOnline
- Peter T. Wendel, Protecting Newly Discovered Antiquities: Thinking Outside the "Fee
Simple" Box, 76 FORDHAM L. REV. 1015 (2007) HeinOnline
- Peter T. Wendel & Robert G. Popovich, The State of the Property Course: A Statistical
Analysis, 56 J. LEGAL EDUC. 216 (2006) HeinOnline
- Peter T. Wendel, Teaching Students How to "Think Like a Lawyer": A Comparative Approach,
12 UKCLE NEWSL., Spring 2006, at 19
- Peter T. Wendel, Inheritance Rights and the Step-Partner Adoption Paradigm: Shades
of the Discrimination Against Illegitimate Children, 34 HOFSTRA L. REV. 351 (2005)
HeinOnline
- Peter T. Wendel, The Evolution of the Law of Trustee's Powers and Third Party Liability
for Participating in a Breach of Trust: An Economic Analysis, 35 SETON HALL L. REV.
971 (2005) SSRNHeinOnline
- Peter T. Wendel, What's in the Property Course and Why?, AALS PROPERTY SECTION NEWSL,
Fall 2004
- Peter T. Wendel, Using Property To Teach Students How To "Think Like a Lawyer": Whetting
Their Appetites and Aptitudes, 46 ST. LOUIS U. L.J. 733 (2002) SSRNHeinOnline
- Peter T. Wendel, The Case Against Plea Bargaining Child Sexual Abuse Charges: "Deja
Vu All Over Again", 64 MO. L. REV. 317 (1999) HeinOnline
- Peter T. Wendel, The Perfect Blend of Methodology, Doctrine and Theory: Property, Jesse Dukeminier and James Krier (4th ed. 1998), 22 SEATTLE U. L. REV. 1031 (1999)
(casebook review) HeinOnline
- Peter T. Wendel, A Law and Economics Analysis of the Right to Face-to-Face Confrontation
Post-Maryland v. Craig: Distinguishing the Forest from the Trees, 22 HOFSTRA L. REV. 405 (1993) HeinOnline
- Peter T. Wendel, Examining the Mystery Behind the Unusually and Inexplicably Broad
Provisions of Section 7 of the Uniform Trustees' Powers Act: A Call for Clarification,
56 MO. L. REV. 25 (1991) HeinOnline
Books
- Peter T. Wendel & Robert G. Popovich, CALIFORNIA WILLS AND TRUSTS: CASES, STATUTES,
PROBLEMS AND MATERIALS (Carolina Academic Press 2017) WorldCat
- Peter T. Wendel, WILLS, TRUSTS AND ESTATES - EMANUEL'S (keyed to 9th edition of Dukeminier/Sitkoff)
(Wolters Kluwer Law & Business 2014) WorldCat
- Peter T. Wendel, WILLS, TRUSTS AND ESTATES - EMANUEL'S (generic 3rd edition) (Wolters
Kluwer Law & Business 2012) WorldCat
- Peter T. Wendel, WILLS, TRUSTS AND ESTATES - EMANUEL'S (keyed to 8th edition of Dukeminier/Lindgren/Sitkoff)
(Wolters Kluwer Law & Business 2010) WorldCat
- Peter T. Wendel, DECONSTRUCTING LEGAL ANALYSIS: A 1L PRIMER (Aspen 2009) WorldCat
- Peter T. Wendel, A POSSESSORY ESTATES AND FUTURE INTERESTS PRIMER (West, 3d ed. 2007) WorldCat
- Peter T. Wendel, PROPERTY (Exam Pro Series) (West, 2d ed. 2007) WorldCat
- Peter T. Wendel & Charles I. Nelson, A POSSESSORY ESTATES AND FUTURE INTERESTS PRIMER
(West, 2d ed. 2005) WorldCat
- Peter T. Wendel, WILLS, TRUSTS AND ESTATES -- EMANUEL'S (keyed to 7th edition of Dukeminier/Johanson/Lindgren/Sitkoff)
(Aspen 2005) WorldCat
- Peter T. Wendel (ghost reviser), SIEGEL'S WILLS & TRUSTS (Aspen 2005)
- Peter T. Wendel, WILLS, TRUSTS AND ESTATES -- EMANUEL'S (generic edition) (Aspen 2004) WorldCat
- Peter T. Wendel, WILLS, TRUSTS AND ESTATES -- EMANUEL'S (keyed to 6th edition of Dukeminier/Johanson)
(Aspen 2003) WorldCat
- Peter T. Wendel, PROPERTY (Exam Pro Series) (West 2000) WorldCat
- Peter Wendel & Shelley Ross Saxer, CALIFORNIA REAL ESTATE LAW & PRACTICE: STATUTES
AND REGULATIONS (Matthew Bender 1999) WorldCat
- Peter T. Wendel & Charles I. Nelson, A POSSESSORY ESTATES AND FUTURE INTERESTS PRIMER
(West 1996) WorldCat
Book Chapters
- Peter T. Wendel, Third Party Liability for Participating in an Agent's Unauthorized
Transaction: Efficiency in the International Context, in FROM SMALL FIRMS TO MULTINATIONALS:
INDUSTRIAL, ENTREPRENEURIAL, MANAGERIAL, FINANCIAL, FISCAL, TRANSACTION COST AND CONSUMER
PERSPECTIVES IN THE ERA OF GLOBALISATION (Ioannis-Dionysios Salavrakos ed., The Athens
Institute for Education and Research 2005) WorldCat
- Peter T. Wendel, Innovative Approaches to Teaching Law School - Teaching Housing Law
Through Service Learning, reprinted in TECHNIQUES FOR TEACHING LAW (Steve Friedland
and Gerald F. Hess eds., Carolina Academic Press, 1999) WorldCat
Presentations
- Peter T. Wendel, Led a discussion with the Creighton faculty on Integrating Academic
Success into Everything We Do, Fall 2017
- Peter T. Wendel, Conducted Academic Success Workshop entitled "Deconstructing Legal
Analysis" for students of color and other nontraditional law students at twelve law
schools around the country, Fall 2017
- Peter T. Wendel, Taught a class entitled "What It Means to Think Like a Common Law Lawyer," Munich University, Summer 2017
- Peter T. Wendel, Conducted presentation for Creighton faculty entitled "Final Exams,
Faculty Feedback, and Academic Success," Fall 2016
- Peter T. Wendel, Conducted Academic Success Workshop entitled "Deconstructing Legal
Analysis" for students of color and other nontraditional law students at thirteen
law schools around the country, Fall 2016
- Peter T. Wendel, "Wills Act Formalities and Defective Execution: Harmless Error vs.
Selective Strict Compliance," Association of Law, Property, and Society, 2016 Annual
Meeting, Queen's University, Belfast, Ireland, May 2016
- Peter T. Wendel, Conducted Academic Success Workshop entitled "Deconstructing Legal
Analysis" for students of color and other nontraditional law students at eleven law
schools around the country, Fall 2015
- Peter T. Wendel, "Creating Law: An Economic Analysis of Non-Justiciable Issues and
the Common Law vs. the Civil Law Approach," Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany,
June 2015
- Peter T. Wendel, "Show a Little Faith: Using a Charitable Pyramid Scheme to Help Reduce
the Cost of Legal Education," Symposium on the Financing of Education, Oxford Union,
Oxford, England, Dec. 2014
- Peter T. Wendel, "What Does It Mean to Teach Law," University of Concordia School
of Law faculty presentation, Boise, Idaho, Sept. 2014
- Peter T. Wendel, Guest Lecturer, "An Introduction to Law & Economics," University
of Munich, Munich, Germany, Summer 2014
- Peter T. Wendel, "An Introduction to Law & Economics," University of Augsburg PhD
Program, Augsburg, Germany, Summer 2014
- Peter T. Wendel, "Urban Farming: The Case for 'De-Urban' Planning, Conference on Urban
Farming at the University of Detroit Mercy, Spring 2014
- Peter T. Wendel, Conducted Academic Success Workshop entitled "Deconstructing Legal
Analysis" for Washington University School of Law BLSA Chapter, Spring 2014
- Peter T. Wendel, Conducted Academic Success Workshop entitled "Deconstructing Legal
Analysis" at the request of the Minnesota Association of Black Lawyers for students
of color at the various law schools in Minnesota, St. Thomas University School of
Law, Fall 2013
- Peter T. Wendel, Conducted Academic Success Workshop entitled "Deconstructing Legal
Analysis" for students of color and other nontraditional law students at six law schools
around the country, Fall 2013
- Peter T. Wendel, Santa Clara School of Law Orientation Program Presentation on "How
to Think Like a Lawyer," Aug. 2013
- Peter T. Wendel, 32nd Annual California Real Property Retreat, one of three panelists
on panel presentation entitled "Professor's Roundtable: A Survey of the Year's Most
Important Real Property Law Developments," Napa, CA, Spring 2013
- Peter T. Wendel, Taught a class on "Renewable Energy: The European/German Approach
vs. the American Approach," University of Copenhagen, Nov. 2012
- Peter T. Wendel, "Legal Analysis: What It Means from an American Perspective," University
of Copenhagen, Nov. 2012
- Peter T. Wendel, Santa Clara School of Law Academic Support Orientation Program Presentation
on "How to Think Like a Lawyer," Aug. 2012
- Peter T. Wendel, Conducted Academic Success Workshop entitled "Deconstructing Legal
Analysis" for students of color and other nontraditional law students at four law
schools around the country, Spring 2012
- Peter T. Wendel, "Shaping Society and Economy Through Law - Common Law vs. Civil Law:
An 'Enlightening' Case Study," University of Augsburg, Germany, Symposium celebrating
40th anniversary of the founding of the law school, Nov. 2011
- Peter T. Wendel, Conducted Academic Success Workshop entitled "Deconstructing Legal
Analysis" for students of color and other nontraditional law students at twelve law
schools around the country, Fall 2011
- Peter T. Wendel, "The American Approach to Legal Analysis," University of Hannover,
Hannover, Germany, Summer 2010
- Peter T. Wendel, Conducted workshop entitled "The Key to Clear and Effective Legal
Writing - Key and Effective Legal Analysis" for summer interns at Public Counsel Law
Center, Los Angeles, CA, June 14, 2011
- Peter T. Wendel, Conducted Academic Success Workshop entitled "Deconstructing Legal
Analysis" for students of color and other nontraditional law students at three law
schools, Spring 2011
- Peter T. Wendel, "The Importance of Diversity in the Classroom," 2010 LSAC Newcomers
Workshop, Philadelphia, PA, Fall 2010
- Peter T. Wendel, "The Inheritance Rights of Adopted Adults: Trying to Fit a Square
Peg into a Round Hole," Third Annual Creighton Law Review Symposium, Estate Planning:
Moral, Religious, and Ethical Perspectives, 2010
- Peter T. Wendel, Conducted Academic Success Workshop entitled "Deconstructing Legal
Analysis" for students of color and other nontraditional law students at twelve law
schools around the country, Fall 2010
- Peter T. Wendel, "An Introduction to Law & Economics," University of Hannover (Hannover,
Germany) and University of Munster (Munster, Germany), Summer 2010
- Peter T. Wendel, "Deconstructing Legal Analysis: the Professor's Perspective," La
Verne College of Law Faculty Scholarship Series, 2010
- Peter T. Wendel, Conducted Academic Success Workshop entitled "Deconstructing Legal
Analysis" for students of color at Loyola of New Orleans School of Law, 2010
- Peter T. Wendel, Conducted Academic Success Workshop entitled "Deconstructing Legal
Analysis" for students of color at eight law schools around the country, Spring 2010
- Peter T. Wendel, Served as Expert Witness in litigation concerning California question
of first impression dealing with the retroactivity of the California version of the
Uniform Statutory Rule Against Perpetuities, and in particular Civil Code section
715, 2009
- Peter T. Wendel, Conducted Academic Success Workshop entitled "Visualizing the Analytical
Process" for students of color at the National BLSA Western Region Annual Conference
(Portland, OR) and Notre Dame University School of Law, Spring 2009
- Peter T. Wendel, Conducted Academic Success Workshop entitled "Deconstructing Legal
Analysis" for students of color at sixteen law schools and two academic retreats around
the country, 2009
- Peter T. Wendel, "Deconstructing Legal Analysis: A Comparative Approach," University
of Passau, Germany, Summer 2009
- Peter T. Wendel, "Same Sex Couples, Adoption, and Inheritance Rights: Should There
Be a Common Law Divorce Doctrine?", Thurgood Marshall School of Law Symposium on Emerging
Issues in Wills, Trusts & Estates, Spring 2009
