Law Dean Searches, 2008 - 2009 Edition

Updated 4/29/09\

Those seeking the 2009-10 list, look here.
For those seeking news on law school lateral movement generally, the 2009 list is here.

Following up on Garrett's  comment on our May 2008 list of law dean searches, it's time to have a post collecting the current dean searches.  I'm a little behind the news on this, so I'm going to start with Garrett's list of schools looking (or about to be looking) (now as updated with comments by Matt, Howard, Mike, Patrick, Scott Taylor, Eric, Rick Bales, Adam Steiner, Danny Sokol, Tim Zinnicker, Scott Taylor, and a bunch of loyal readers--thanks, especially, to bluegrasser, whoever you are).  As always, information from readers is most, most appreciated. 

BYU (James Rasband named Dean.)
Cardozo (Matthew Diller named Dean.)
Case Western
Drake (Allan Vestal named Dean)
Duquesne
Elon (George Johnson named Dean)  (I. Richard Gershon and Mary J. Davis, finalists) (and here)
Florida International University  (Alex Acosta named dean.)  (as of 3/4, "initial" final-finalists are Acosta, Brennen, Jimmy Gurulé, and Colin Picker) (finalists include R. Alexander Acosta, Larry Cata Backer, David Brennen, Penelope Bryan, Jose Roberto Juarez, Michael Kelly, Jennifer Rosato, and Michael Rustad) (R. Alexander Acosta, Joel Friedman, Gurule, Jose Roberto Juarez, and Colin Picker coming for campus visits as of 4/9) (
Golden Gate (Drucilla Stender Ramey named dean.)
Loyola (Victor Gold, Jim Chen, John Nockleby, and Rich Freer finalists)
Northern Illinois  Jennifer Rosato named dean (Penelope Bryan (Denver), Jennifer Rosato (Drexel), and Chris Cameron (Southwestern) finalists)
Notre Dame (Nell Newton named dean)
Rutgers-Newark (John Farmer named dean.)
St. John's Michael Simons named dean. (Leonard Baynes and Michael Simons are said to be the leading candidates)
South Texas (Don Guter named dean.)
Texas Tech
Tulane
University of Arizona (finalists via Brian Leiter) (Larry Ponoroff named dean).
University of Arkansas--Little Rock (Penelope Bryan, sole finalist - but interesting - semi-finalists also included Joan Mahoney and Susan Richey, and other applicants included Richard Bales and Michael Kelly) and now that Bryan's become dean at Whittier, UALR is looking again. And now they've named John DiPippa, a long-time UALR professor, dean. 
University of California--Hastings
University of Denver
University of Illinois (Bruce Smith named dean)
University of Detroit Mercy (Lloyd Semple named dean.)
University of Iowa
University of Kentucky (David Brennen named dean.)  (David A. Brennen, Elizabeth A. Reilly, Cynthia L. Fountaine, Christopher W. Frost, finalists)
University of Memphis (Kevin Smith named dean.)  (Kevin H. Smith, Penelope Eileen Bryan, David Alexander Brennen, and Richard A. Bales finalists)
University of Miami (Patricia White named dean.)
University of Maryland (Phoebe Haddon named dean.)  (Mark A. Sargent, Wendy Collins Perdue, Phoebe Haddon, Leah Ward Sears, and Linda S. Mullenix finalists.) (On 2/11/09, Sears withdrew from the search.  On 2/17/09, Mark Sargent withdrew.)
University of Montana (Irma Russell named dean.) (Jack Bogdanski, Greg Murphy, Loren Prescott, Elizabeth Reilly, and Irma Russell finalists)
University of Nebraska (Irma S. Russell, Gary J. Simson, and William Murray Tabb finalists) (Search abandoned this year.)
University of New Mexico (Kevin Washburn named dean) (Gregory A. Hicks, Michael A. Olivas, Antoinette Sedillo López, Kevin K. Washburn finalists)
University of Washington (Kellye Testy named dean.) (finalists via Brian Leiter)
University of Wyoming Stephen Easton named dean.
Vanderbilt (Chris Guthrie named dean.)
Whittier (Penelope Bryan named dean) (Penelope Bryan, Christopher David Ruiz Cameron, Abby Leibman, William B.T. Mock finalists)
William & Mary (finalists are Frank Alexander, Dave Douglas, Ronald Cass, Linda Mullenix, Wendy Perdue, and Larry Ponoroff; this is, in part, from abovethelaw.com) (Dave Douglas chosen dean)
Yale (search members listed committee here)

Of course Harvard's going to need a new dean real soon.  I'm surprised there hasn't been more law blog speculation on this yet.  (Don't blogs specialize in ... speculation?)   The Boston Globe has been speculating about some replacements--including Martha Minow, David Wilkins, Howell Jackson, and Anne-Marie Slaughter.

As I began to collect some of the links to search announcements, I began to think about two things.  First, how many schools use firms to assist in recruiting deans?  Seems like that's a pretty common practice for college presidencies.  I'm wondering if it's becoming more common for law school deanships.  I'd be interested in whether schools think that's generated good results for them?  Second, there must be advice on what dean job talks should be like, which would run parallel to the extensive advice on job talks (and job searches generally) for entry level faculty candidates.  Maybe we ought to start talking about that, too.

One other thought as I see all the terrific finalists--there are some amazingly selfless people out there, because, wow, in these tough economic times, my guess is that the job of being dean at a law school is even more thankless than usual.

Update for January 9: Many, many congratulations to Bruce Smith.  The University of Illinois is most lucky to have him.  This is great news, too, for legal history.

Alfred Brophy (and Dan Filler doing's a bunch of the updates now, too)

Comments

[Matt]

My understanding is that the Illinois search is still on-going, if you want to note those, too. There's some reason to think it will be done soon, but I don't have any inside information.

[Howard Wasserman]

Florida International University began its dean search in the fall.

[Mike Dimino]

Arizona is also in the midst of a dean search.
http://www.law.arizona.edu/DeanSearch/

[?]

Gold was named Dean at Loyola

http://leiterlawschool.typepad.com/leiter/2008/12/interim-dean-victor-gold-named-dean-at-loyola-law-school-los-angeles.html

[Matt]

Well, the Illinois search didn't last much longer!

http://news.illinois.edu/news/09/0109dean.html
(seen via Leiter). Good for the historians, maybe.

[Brian Leiter]

Well, I don't generally post speculation on my blog, but I will speculate in the comments of *your* blog. My bet is John Manning will be the next Dean of Harvard.

[Jenner]

The Dean at St. Johns passed away recently.

[Elizabeth Leonard]

University of Washington: Jim Chen, Larry Gostin, Patricia White, Kellye Teste, finalists.

http://www.washington.edu/provost/searches/lawdean.html

[2LE]

Rutgers is getting a candidate visit from Douglass Cassel.

[Bluegrasser]

Kentucky has announced finalists:
http://www.uky.edu/Provost/news3.htm

[Vandyguy]

Vanderbilt Dean Ed Rubin just stepped down. They're initiating a search.
http://www.law.vanderbilt.edu/article-search/article-detail/index.aspx?nid=232

Who knows 1) who they'll get next, and 2) where Rubin will go next, assuming he doesn't stay at Vanderbilt?

[David Abraham]

http://www.law.miami.edu/news.php?article=1182

[Howard Wasserman]

Florida International: Brennen withdrew. Campus invitees (not "finalists") include Acosta, Joel Friedman, Gurule, Jose Juarez, and Picker.

[David Levine]

Nell Newton to Notre Dame

[Ken H. Spam]

Professor Diller from Fordham to be new dean of Cardozo. http://www.cardozo.yu.edu/

[Jim Chen]

My understanding is that the Florida International University dean search includes Katharine Van Tassel, professor of law at Western New England College, in the same round of finalists that includes Acosta, Friedman, Gurule, Juarez, and Picker. I'd recommend an update "above the line" that reflects the entire FIU field and includes Van Tassel of WNEC alongside the other finalists.

[ChiAnon]

The University of Chicago is currently looking for a new dean.

[Texas]

Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Texas Southern University has an opening as of August 31, 2009.

[Callie Anson]

You missed Southern Illinois University, which is dealing with incredible central administration incompetence. Dean Peter Alexander announced his June 30, 2009 resignation in March of 2008 and, to date, an Interim Dean has not been named and a search committee has not been charged. Sixteen months have passed and there is still no Interim Dean in place! This is insane and it should be a warning to anyone seeking to apply for that deanship when it opens.

[hrmanager]

Phoenix School of Law is hiring for the position of Dean.

Phoenix School of Law (“PhoenixLaw”) seeks applications for the position of Dean. The law school seeks a candidate who has: 1) an outstanding track record of imaginative, strategic, and visionary leadership for a rapidly expanding law school; 2) extraordinary administrative talent; 3) interpersonal skills to work with a diverse faculty, staff, and student population; 4) a commitment to the mission objectives of PhoenixLaw; and 5) a desire to share in the strategic objectives of the InfiLaw consortium of law schools. Interested candidates should contact [email protected]. Please visit www.phoenixlaw.edu for the full announcement.