Robert A. Stein was born in Minneapolis on September 16, 1938. He earned his B.S.L. in 1960 and his J.D. in 1961 from the University of Minnesota. From 1961-1964, Stein worked in the firm of Foley, Sammond & Lardner in Milwaukee, WI. He joined the faculty of the Law School at the University in 1964, specializing in estate planning and trusts. In 1976, Stein was appointed as associate dean for academic affairs and in 1979 he was named dean of the Law School. Stein resigned as dean in 1994 to become executive director of the American Bar Association (ABA).
From the guide to the Robert A. Stein papers, 1976-1994, (University of Minnesota Libraries. University Archives [uarc])