The Faculty Lounge

Sudha Setty Named Dean of CUNY Law

CUNY School of Law has announced that Sudha Setty, dean and professor of law at Western New England University School of Law, will become its next dean.  Setty, who holds a JD from Columbia, will take over on July 1, 2022.

Chapman Law Seeks Dean

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Chapman University, a private university recognized for its culture of innovation as well as excellence in research and cutting-edge teaching, invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of Dean of the Dale E. Fowler School of Law. Founded in 1995, the Dale E. Fowler School of Law (Fowler Law) based in Orange County, California is one of the premier private law schools in Southern California and consistently recognized as one of the top law schools in the nation for practical training. The School’s next Dean will inherit an outstanding market position, a thriving enrollment, and a community united in the shared goal of providing an outstanding legal education. Building on the momentum generated by record fundraising – including an extraordinarily generous $55 million naming gift – and increases in the academic profile and diversity of the incoming class, Fowler Law seeks to extend its reputation throughout California, regionally, and nationally through strategic management of its opportunities, resources, and excellent alumni partners.

Fowler Law offers a collaborative, personalized, and rigorous education that makes our students more practice-ready than their counterparts at other schools. Ranked 16^th in the country for practical training, students have access to a wide array of experiential learning opportunities, including clinics, externships, practice-ready labs, and practice-oriented writing classes. With one of the best faculty-to-student ratios among ABA-approved law schools, Fowler Law offers smaller class sizes and greater access to a distinguished faculty both in and out of the classroom.

 

Louisville Law Announces Four Dean Finalists

University of Louisville School of Law announced that their four dean finalists are Jason Czarnezki (Pace), Melanie Jacobs (Michigan State), Malik Edwards (North Carolina Central University), and Susan Kuo (University of South Carolina).

North Dakota Law Seeks Dean

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The University of North Dakota is seeking candidates for the position of Dean of the UND School of Law. Reporting directly to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean is the chief executive officer of the School of Law and is responsible for its effective administration. The Dean will provide leadership and facilitate an environment for accomplishing strategic goals, as well as aligning the functioning of the School of Law with UND’s broader academic identity and strategic planning.

Position Description

UND seeks a dynamic and visionary leader who will build upon the School of Law’s strengths to provide exceptional professional educational experiences, recruit and develop outstanding faculty, and promote faculty-driven scholarly and creative endeavors.

Significant investments at the University in terms of research development in critical areas are propelling the University forward as the flagship research institution in the state of North Dakota. Meanwhile, the University’s ongoing commitments to student success at both the undergraduate and graduate level continue to elevate the tradition of educational excellence at the institution.

• The Dean is responsible, in cooperation with the Provost, for academic and administrative planning; budgeting; administration and implementation of department, college and university policies; and fund-raising and external relations.
• The Dean, in partnership with the faculty, is responsible for academic program development and review; faculty recruitment; development and evaluation of faculty; and student relations.
• The next dean will be a committed team player who is devoted to excellence and shared governance. The selected individual will be a consultative decision-maker and will work collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, and administrators.
• The Dean will have unquestioned integrity and exemplary interpersonal and communication skills.
• The incoming dean of the School of Law will have the opportunity to build on the long-standing tradition of excellence within the School, and to work alongside both internal and external partners and stakeholders to increase and enhance the mission of the School.
• Enhancing access and opportunity for students and faculty through alumni and donor relations will be essential in the coming years as the University engages in robust capital campaigning and relationship building, as will bringing key programmatic opportunities to the students of the college that will position them—and the School—for ongoing service to the state and the region.

 

Michèle Alexandre Named Dean of Loyola Chicago Law

Loyola Law in Chicago has announced that Michèle Alexandre, dean and professor of law at Stetson Law, will become its next dean.  Alexandre, who holds a JD from Harvard, will take over on July 15, 2022.

Lonnie Brown Named Dean of Tennessee Law

University of Tennessee College of Law has announced that Lonnie T. Brown, Jr., the Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor and A. Gus Cleveland Distinguished Chair of Legal Ethics and Professionalism at the University of Georgia School of Law, will become its next dean.  He holds a JD from Vanderbilt.  Brown will take over on July 1, 2022.

Liz Magill named President of Penn

The University of Pennsylvania has announced that its new president will be M. Elizabeth Magill.  Magill has served as the Executive Vice President and Provost of the University of Virginia since 2019 and previously served as the dean of  Stanford Law School.  She will assume the Penn Presidency on July 1, 2022.

Lisa R. Freudenheim Named Dean of New England Law

New England Law | Boston has announced that Lisa R. Freudenheim, co-acting dean for the fall 2021 semester and professor of law at New England Law, will become its next dean.  Freudenheim, who holds a JD from NYU, took over this month.

Montana Law Seeks Dean

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The University of Montana (UM) invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the Alexander Blewett III School of Law from interested individuals with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. This is an important opportunity to lead Montana's only law school and the only law school in the nation with an embedded Department of Public Administration and Policy. If you have an ability to foster collaboration and strategic partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, sharp budgeting and planning acumen, and a strong passion for how law and policy can work in tandem to improve society and honor the rich cultural landscape of Montana we encourage you to apply for this position.

Reporting directly to the Provost and Executive Vice President, the dean is the chief academic and administrative officer for the Blewett School of Law. The dean is responsible for administering the School's departments and programs, including maintaining accreditation by the American Bar Association (ABA) and the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), developing and implementing strategies to enhance academic innovation and quality, recruiting students and members of the faculty and staff, and managing organizational and financial structures that promote excellence in teaching, research and service.

A profile for this search with information about UM and the qualifications, preferred attributes, and key opportunities of the position can be found here. Potential candidates are invited to initiate a conversation about this opportunity through a preliminary contact (email or phone) with either Richard Wueste or Kimberly Templeton prior to submitting materials.

The Search Committee will begin a review of applications immediately and continue its work until an appointment is made. For best consideration, application materials should be received by February 22, 2022.

Application materials must include: 1) a letter of interest; 2) curriculum vitae and 3) names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses for five (5) professional references, including a brief description of your relationship to that individual, who will be contacted only after candidates are notified.

Nominations and applications should be sent electronically (MS Word or PDF format) to: MontanaDeanLaw@agbsearch.com. All applications, nominations and inquiries will be handled in confidence.

Emily Janoski-Haehlen Named Dean of Akron Law

The University of Akron School of Law has announced that Emily Janoski-Haehlen, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Law Technology Programs and Director of the Law Library at Akron Law, will become its next dean.   She holds a JD from Northern Kentucky.  Janoski-Haehlen will take over on February 21, 2022.

 

 

 

 

Alena Allen Named Interim Dean of Arkansas Law

As previously announced, Margaret Sova McCabe is stepping down from her role as law dean at the University of Arkansas - but she has accelerated the move as she joins university leadership.   Professor Alena Allen has been named interim dean.  Allen joined the law school in June 2021 after teaching at Memphis Law.  She holds a JD from Yale.

Elizabeth Porter Named Interim Dean of Washington Law

University of Washington Law dean Mario Barnes stepped down on December 31.  Professor Elizabeth Porter has been named interim dean until a new dean is selected.  Porter joined Washington Law in 2010 and holds a JD from Columbia.

Miami Law Seeks Dean

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The University of Miami invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the School of Law. We seek a dean who is an experienced administrator in legal education, an innovative thinker, a community builder on a hemispheric scale, a seasoned fundraiser, and an inspiring leader who 1) welcomes the opportunity to articulate a vision for the law school that builds upon its rich history and 2) is ready to face the challenges of modern legal education and lead the law school forward in the twenty-first century.

The University of Miami

The University of Miami, located at the gateway to the Americas, is a nationally and globally recognized top tier institution of higher education that is known for its academic excellence, cutting-edge research, and commitment to international study, collaboration, and exchange. The University of Miami is the largest private research university in the southeastern United States and comprises twelve degree-granting schools and colleges: Architecture, Arts and Sciences, Miami Business, Communication, Education, Engineering, Graduate School, Law, the Miller School of Medicine, the Patricia and Philip Frost School of Music, Nursing and Health Studies, and the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.

The core of the University is its 2,660 full-time faculty housed in three academic campuses within the greater Miami area, a location at the crossroads of the Americas that allows the University to engage with the larger hemispheric community. The University receives over $400 million annually in external research funding and has been classified as a Doctoral University with Highest Research Activity (R1) by the Carnegie Commission. We are committed to creating a respectful and supportive working environment that reflects our values of Diversity, Integrity, Responsibility, Excellence, Compassion, Creativity, and Teamwork (DIRECCT).

The Law School

The University of Miami School of Law, located on the 239-acre main campus, has over 100 faculty members and an enrollment of about 1200 students. The curriculum of the juris doctor (JD) degree includes the teaching of diverse subject areas at the highest levels of excellence, with a faculty devoted to teaching, researching, and advancing the art and practice of the law. The JD curriculum also includes award-winning clinical programs, a nationally-recognized litigation skills program, a newly-created transactional skills program, and externship opportunities for the development of legal skills. The law school’s large network of alumni, as well as its international profile, has resulted in a diverse assortment of high-quality adjunct course offerings.

SMU Dean Jennifer Collins Named President of Rhodes College

Rhodes College has announced that its new president will be Jennifer M. Collins.  Collins has been the dean of SMU Law since 2014.  She will make the move to Tennessee on July 1, 2022.

Elon Law Seeks Dean

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Elon University School of Law (Elon Law), a forward-thinking law school based in Greensboro, North Carolina, and known for its pioneering blend of experiential learning and critical scholarship, seeks applications and nominations for the position of Dean of the School of Law.

Elon Law is the preeminent school for engaged and experiential learning in law. With a focus on learning by doing, it integrates traditional classroom instruction with a required, full-time (30+ hours/week) field placement for every student, known as a Residency-in-Practice. The law school’s distinctive curriculum provides a logically-sequenced program of professional preparation. Elon Law’s innovative curriculum is accomplished in 2.5 years, which provides exceptional value by lowering tuition and permitting graduates early entry into their careers.

Elon Law’s shorter academic program benefits students by substantially reducing their debt load, an attractive proposition for many prospective students drawn to the school’s trimester-based academic calendar. The law school has enjoyed significant increases in applications and enrollment in recent years when most other law schools experienced declines. In fall 2021, total enrollment reached a historic high of 429 students, driven by a record number of students matriculating in the Class of 2023.

Guided by its student-centered approach to legal education, Elon Law’s bar passage and post-graduate employment rates have seen consistent and significant increases since the implementation of the 2.5 year academic program. The increased bar passage rate has resulted from an investment in student success and undergirds the law school’s strong employment figures. Increased graduate employment rates are also attributable to Elon Law’s emphasis on experiential learning. The law school’s Residency-in-Practice Program ensures that students connect classroom learning with real-world practice. The Residency-in-Practice experience also provides students with insights that they bring back to the law school when they return to complete their studies.

Reporting to the Provost, the Dean will be a collaborative, transparent, and strategic leader who guides faculty, staff, students, and processes with empathy and integrity. With a track record of distinguished management and administration, this person must possess a deep commitment to student success, faculty teaching and scholarly engagement, and the organizational and leadership skills necessary to attract and retain human and financial resources. The ideal candidate should have a sophisticated understanding of the changing landscape in legal education and the practice of law, respect and appreciation for shared governance, fundraising experience, and a strong commitment to Elon law's role as an innovator in legal education.

The new Dean will need to lead the Elon Law community in a shared effort to create and execute a strategic vision that builds upon the existing foundation of innovative and successful programs to further distinguish the school in the modern legal education landscape. Elon Law's faculty, staff, students, alumni, Provost, and President are eager to work with a leader who is energetic, creative, supportive, and able to inspire the law school's diverse and highly engaged community. The new Dean must bring a demonstrated passionate commitment in their professional life to diversity, equity and inclusion and be eager to promote its advantages to a variety of constituents. The new Dean will be expected to maintain and nourish close relationships with the Elon Law alumni and donor community to enhance current sources of revenue for the school while also identifying potential new ones. For more information, please visit www.wittkieffer.com.

The successful candidate will offer a proven record in management or administration suitable for appointment as Dean. The successful candidate will, at a minimum, possess a J.D. degree or its equivalent, and will have an outstanding record of academic and professional accomplishment.  In addition, the successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to inclusive excellence, as well as service to the legal profession and the public.

WittKieffer is assisting Elon in this search. Application materials can be submitted through WittKieffer’s candidate portal or by sending to the email below. Review of candidate materials will continue until the position is filled, with priority given to applications received by January 14, 2022. Confidential nominations and inquiries can be directed to Lucy Leske, Werner Boel, LL.M. and Ashlee Winters at ElonLawDean@wittkieffer.com.

Elon University values and celebrates the diverse backgrounds, cultures, experiences and perspectives of our community members. We embrace diversity in its broadest sense, including, but not limited to, diversity of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic standing and intellectual viewpoint.

All members of the Elon community have a shared responsibility to act deliberately toward equitable outcomes. Inclusive Excellence is Elon’s framing of diversity, equity, inclusion, and other constructs that support belonging and well-being, resulting in the creation of a community where people strive to dismantle oppression and where individuals flourish.

Camille Carey Named Dean of UNM Law

The University of New Mexico School of Law has announced that Camille Carey, Vice Dean and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at UNM Law, will become its next dean.  Carey, who holds a JD from UCLA, will take over on July 1, 2022.

Morse Tan Named Dean of Liberty University Law

NNorthern Illinois University Professor Morse Hyun Myung Tan has been named the new dean of Liberty University School of Law beginning on January 1, 2022. He holds a JD from Northwestern.

Cumberland Law Seeks Dean

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Samford University seeks an exceptional leader to serve as Dean of the Cumberland School of Law in a Christian university environment. The Cumberland School of Law was founded in 1847. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and operates with a mission to educate a diverse community of students with knowledge and practical skills, equipping them to become highly competent, ethical lawyers committed to professionalism and public service. Cumberland has approximately 440 full-time J.D. students. Almost 10,000 J.D. alumni serve their communities in every state and around the globe. It also offers L.L.M and M.S. degree programs that are fully online and attract professionals across the country.

Cumberland is nationally recognized for trial advocacy and quality instruction. The Princeton Review ranks the law school 4th in the nation for Best Quality of Life. U.S. News & World Report ranks Cumberland School of Law 8th in the nation for trial advocacy training. Cumberland is also ranked 3rd in the nation by the Trial Competition Performance Rankings. In fall 2020, the Cumberland Veterans Legal Assistance Clinic and the Cumberland Innocence Clinic were launched, and in spring 2021, the law school also started a Capital Defense Clinic and a Criminal Appeals Clinic.

For more information: https://www.higheredjobs.com/executive/details.cfm?JobCode=177673008&Title=Dean%2C%20Cumberland%20School%20of%20Law

Review of applications will begin January 21, 2022. Application materials should include cover letter, curriculum vitae, application for faculty position, and faculty applicant Christian mission statement.

“Application for Faculty Position” can be found at: https://www.samford.edu/departments/files/Human_Resources/application-for-faculty-employment.pdf

“Faculty Applicant Christian Mission Statement” can be found at: https://www.samford.edu/departments/files/academic-affairs/Faculty-Applicant-Christian-Mission-Statement.docx

Please submit all materials in PDF format.  All conversations and applications are held in strictest confidence and should be submitted directly to CumberlandDeanofLaw@zrgpartners.com Inquiries and questions concerning this search may be directed to Gene Head and/or Stephanie Franklin, the consultants supporting the search: ghead@zrgpartners.com.

Tennessee Law Announces Dean Finalists

And they are: Melanie Jacobs (Michigan State), Zachary Kramer (Arizona State), Lonnie Brown (Georgia), Nicola Boothe (Florida A&M), and W. Jonathan Cardi (Wake Forest).  More details here. 

Penn State Law & School of Int'l Affairs Seeks Dean

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The Pennsylvania State University seeks an exceptional leader to serve as Dean of the Penn State Law School —University Park and the Penn State School of International Affairs. Please see https://www.imsearch.com/search-detail/S8-126 for more details.