Warren drops Harvard Law class, fueling fresh speculation of Obama appointment

Elizabeth Warren will not be teaching her Harvard Law School class this semester, heightening speculation that she is poised to be selected to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Agency. 

The Washington Post reported Thursday that Harvard Law School Dean Martha L. Minow informed students in an e-mail that Warren will be replaced due to a "last-minute change."

"I'm writing to let you know that Professor Jerry Frug will be teaching your Contracts class this term instead of Professor Elizabeth Warren," Minow reportedly wrote students on Tuesday. "Professor Warren regrets that she will not be able to teach you this fall and we regret the last-minute change." 

Warren, who chaired the Congressional Oversight Panel that reviewed the financial bailouts, is known to be a top candidate to head the new consumer board established under the Wall Street reform law that passed in July. 

The professor previously fueled questions about her potential appointment when she met with top White House officials and the Financial Services Roundtable, a influential group of big-bank lobbyists.

Liberal lawmakers and activists have touted Warren as a tough consumer advocate who will bring strong leadership to the consumer board. Should President Obama pick her to helm the consumer agency, she would first have to be confirmed by the Senate.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), the chief author of the financial reform bill, has cast doubt on her candidacy, raising questions about her confirmability and preparedness to manage a bureaucratic agency.