The Faculty Lounge

Dean Curtis Bridgeman Stepping Down at Willamette Law

Dean Curtis Bridgeman of the Willamette University School of Law has announced he will step down in the summer of 2020.  He has served as dean since 2013.  

Nebraska Law Dean Tapped as Interim Executive Vice-Chancellor

The University of Nebraska has named the dean of the law school, Richard Moberly, as its interim executive vice-chancellor, the school's chief academic officer.  During his stay in university administration, Professor Anna Shavers will serve as interim dean of the law school. 

Wendy Hensel Named Interim Provost of Georgia State

Georgia State University has announced that Dean Wendy Hensel of the law school will serve as interim provost.  Professor Leslie Wolf will serve as interim dean of the law school during Hensel's time in the provost's office.

Joshua Fershee Named Dean of Creighton Law

Creighton University announced that Professor Joshua Fershee will be the new dean of its law school, effective July 1.  Fershee is a member of the West Virginia University law faculty, and served as that school's associate dean for faculty research and development for several years.  He holds a JD from Tulane.  

Elizabeth McClanahan Named Dean of Appalachian Law

Virginia Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth A. McClanahan, who will be retiring from the court September 1, will become the new dean of the Appalachian School of Law the next day.   She replaces Dean Sandra McGlothlin who is stepping down.  Justice McClanahan holds a JD from the University of Dayton and has served previously at ASL as a visiting faculty member.

Henry Butler Stepping Down as George Mason Law Dean

George Mason University has announced that Henry Butler will step down as dean of the law school at the end of the 2019-20 school year.  Butler has done some prodigious fundraising since joining the law school in 2015 and he has continued the school's emphasis on law and economics.  

Chris Bracey Named Interim Dean of GW Law

George Washington University School of Law has announced that law school professor Christopher Bracey, who is currently vice-provost affairs at the university, will serve as interim dean beginning this summer.  Dean Blake Morant previously announced he would step down after five years in the position.  Bracey will not be a candidate for the deanship on a permanent basis.  GW Law professor Ralph Steinhardt  is chairing the search for a new dean with the assistance of Isaacson Miller. 

Michael Hunter Schwartz Named Univ. of Pacific Interim Provost

Dean Michael Hunter Schwartz, of Pacific-McGeorge Law has been named interim provost of University of the Pacific effective this summer.  In his stead, Associate Dean Michael Colatrella will serve as interim dean of the law school.  

James McGrath Named Dean of WMU Cooley Law

Western Michigan University Cooley Law School has announced that James McGrath, professor of law and associate dean for academic support and bar services at Texas A&M University School of Law, will serve as its next president and dean.  McGrath received a JD from Howard, an LLM from Temple and an MPH from Harvard.  He takes over July 1.

Call for Panels and Conference Announcement: Women's Leadership in Academia Conference @UVALaw, July 18-19, 2019

From colleagues at UVa:

Call for Panel Proposals

We are currently accepting proposals for panels on issues relating to women in legal academia for the second annual Women’s Leadership in Academia Conference, to be held at UVA Law School on July 18-19, 2019. The conference will address the unique perspectives and challenges of women and provide programming that will be useful to developing leaders. Conference programming is focused on building skills and providing tools and information that are directly applicable to women aspiring to be leaders in legal education. Proposals should include a panel title, description, and proposed panelists. Selected panels will be notified by May 15, and panelists’ conference registration and travel costs will be covered. More information on the conference, including a link to provide panel proposals, is available here. Proposals are due by May 1, 2019. For questions, please contact Leslie Kendrick at kendrick@law.virginia.edu.

Conference news:

Second Annual Women’s Leadership in Academia Conference: July 18-19, 2019

Registration is now open for the second annual conference on Women’s Leadership in Academia, to be held at UVA Law School on July 18-19, 2019. The conference is an event of the Women’s Leadership Initiative, which was developed with the goal of advancing women professors, librarians and clinicians in leadership positions in the legal academy. Conference programming is focused on building skills and providing tools and information that are directly applicable to women aspiring to be leaders in legal education. The conference will address the unique perspectives and challenges of women and provide programming that will be useful to developing leaders. Along with panels and workshops, the conference will feature CV review and advising with recruiters. Travel scholarships are available. Early bird registration is open through May 31, and regular registration continues until the conference reaches full capacity. More information is available here. For questions, please contact Leslie Kendrick at kendrick@law.virginia.edu.

Jane Aiken Named Dean of Wake Forest Law

Wake Forest University has announced that Jane Aiken will be the next dean of its law school.  Jane, the Blume Professor at Georgetown University Law Center, previously served as the law center's Associate Dean for Experiential Education and then Vice Dean.  She holds a JD from NYU and an LLM from Georgetown.  I'm particularly excited to see Jane take on the deanship for two reasons.  First, it's incredibly encouraging to see the appointment of a dean with roots in clinical legal education.   Second, on a purely personal level, Jane has been a hugely supportive person for me over the course of many years - since the days she was teaching at Wash U and I was teaching at Alabama.   She makes the big move this summer.

Lincoln Davies Named Dean of Ohio State Law

The Ohio State University has named Lincoln Davies as its new law school dean.  Davies is the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the University of Utah College of Law; he joined the Utah faculty in 2007.  He holds a JD from Stanford and will be taking over at OSU this summer.

Anita Krug Named Dean of Chicago-Kent Law

The Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent School of Law has announced that Professor Anita Krug will be its new dean.  Krug, the D. Wayne and Anne Gittinger Professor of Law at the University of Washington School of Law, has previously served as interim dean at Washington.   She joined the Washington faculty in 2010, having previously been a partner at Howard, Rice in San Francisco.  She holds a JD and a Ph.D (Political Science) from Harvard.

Memphis Law Seeks Dean

The University of Memphis is seeking a new dean for its law school.  Details are here.  They will begin reviewing nominations this week.  

South Texas Law Names Michael Barry Dean

South Texas College of Law Houston has announced that Mike Barry, the assistant dean and practitioner in residence at St. Mary’s University School of Law, will be its new president and dean.  Prior to 2015, he was senior vice president and deputy general counsel with USAA.  Barry, who holds a JD from Yale, will join South Texas this summer. 

Touro College Law Seeks New Dean

Touro College Fuchsberg Law Center has announced that it is searching for a new dean as Dean Harry Ballan completes a three year term.  The posting from Witt/Kieffer is here.  

Steven Payne Named Dean of Catholic Law

Catholic University is joining the movement to look outside academia for its law deans.  The University has named Steven Payne as the dean of Catholic Law.  Payne, a health care lawyer and partner at Gibson Dunn in D.C., holds a JD from Yale.  He will take over on July 1.

McConnell Named President of Colorado State

Colorado State University named its first woman president last week - Joyce McConnell.  McConnell, who is currently the provost at West Virginia University, served as dean of the WVU law school from 2008 to 2014.  She joined the WVU faculty in 1995 and holds a JD from Antioch (the artist currently known as UDC Law) and an LLM from Georgetown.  

Utah Law Taps Elizabeth Kronk Warner as Dean

The University of Utah has announced that Elizabeth Kronk Warner will be the new dean of the law school.  Kronk Warner, who holds a JD from Michigan, will take over this summer.  She is currently associate dean of Academic Affairs, professor and director of the Tribal Law and Government Center at the University of Kansas School of Law.  

Avi Soifer Stepping Down as Dean of Hawaii Law

It's a once in a generation opportunity!  Dean Avi Soifer has announced he will step down after 16 years as dean of University of Hawaii Law as soon as his replacement is found.  The competition begins now, as highly qualified candidates vie for this good life-meets-career opportunity.