The Faculty Lounge

Jon Garon Stepping Down as Dean of Nova Southeastern Law

After five-plus years at the helm of Nova Southeastern's law school, Dean Jon Garon has announced he will step down at the end of this school year.  

Indiana - Indianapolis Law Dean Announcement

Dean Andy Klein is wrapping up his seven year run at McKinney and IU is looking for a new dean.  The announcement is here.

 

Dave Douglas Stepping Down as William & Mary Law Dean

Dean Davison Douglas has announced that he will step down as dean of the William & Mary Law School, effective at the end of this school year.  He has lead the law school since 2009.

LMU Law Dean Gary Wade Stepping Down

Lincoln Memorial University law dean, Gary Wade, who joined the law school in 2015, has announced that he will step down as at the end of this school year. 

St. Mary's Law Seeks Dean

This just in:

St. Mary’s University based in San Antonio, Texas, invites inquiries, nominations and applications for the Dean of St. Mary’s University School of Law.

St. Mary’s University School of Law has long been recognized as the premier private law school in south Texas. It now seeks to extend that reputation throughout the state of Texas, the Southwest, and nationally through strategic management of its opportunities, resources, and excellent alumni partners. The School of Law’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.

The School of Law resides within a University committed to its Catholic identity and to the heritage of its founding religious community, the Society of Mary (Marianist). Educating students for over 150 years, the University is the oldest institution of higher learning in San Antonio.

The School of Law has amassed a nationally recognized law facility, a highly regarded LL.M. program, a premier law journal, and a reputation in the field of trial advocacy that is unparalleled in this or any region of the country. St. Mary’s University School of Law graduates are national and regional leaders, prominent lawyers, and outstanding academicians, among other vocations. St. Mary’s University School of Law has a commitment to diversity that is second to none in its law school admissions process, while maintaining, through unique and innovative on-campus programs, a strong bar passage rate measured against its Texas competition.

Reporting directly to the Provost and working closely with St. Mary’s University President and the University’s senior leadership, the next Dean is the School of Law’s chief academic and administrative officer, with overall responsibility for its academic programs, operating budget, human resources, external relations, and fundraising. The Dean is also the School of Law’s principal representative in University governance and the legal community. The next Dean will be able to capitalize on the School of Law’s already strong assets to deliver an outstanding legal education, honor its commitment to legal ethics and service, and provide opportunities to students of diverse backgrounds and abilities.

Mitchell Hamline Law Seeks President/Dean

This just in:

Mitchell Hamline School of Law seeks applications and nominations for the position of President and Dean.

Mitchell Hamline School of Law, based in St. Paul, Minnesota, is a forward-thinking and independent, top law school for students seeking a practical legal education. The school offers traditional full- and part-time programs as well as the first on-campus/online J.D. program at an ABA-approved law school. With a history dating back more than 100 years, Mitchell Hamline School of Law has continually shaped legal education to be relevant to its students, future clients, and the legal profession. Students, many of whom may not have otherwise had the opportunity to gain access to a legal education, thrive in a flexible, rigorous and experiential learning environment, and graduate prepared to make an immediate contribution in law, business, government, community service, and many other fields. For more information please visit www.mitchellhamline.edu.

Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the President and 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 and faculty teaching and scholarly engagement and development as well as 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 of legal education, respect and appreciation for shared governance, fundraising experience, and a strong commitment to Mitchell Hamline School of Law's role as an innovator in legal education.

What's Going on at Florida Coastal?

The ABA recently notified Florida Coastal School of Law (the last surviving InfiLaw school) that it was rejecting FCSL's application for a major change to convert to non-profit status.  This may have precipitated a leadership shakeup at the school.  Yesterday it was announced internally that Academic Dean Jennifer Reiber was returning to her post on the faculty and today Dean Scott DeVito apparently quit.  No word if he was pushed out or left voluntarily.  I tried to reach out to him for comment through his FCSL email and got this Autoreply: "Thank you for reaching out to me. Scott DeVito is no longer employed by Florida Coastal School of Law."  Normally, when Deans step down they rejoin the faculty, but it doesn't seem like that happened here.  So, what is the next step for Florida Coastal?  Who is running the school right now? Why did the ABA reject their application to convert to non-profit status?   If I learn of any developments, I will let you know.  In the meantime, if anyone has any insights, please share them in the comments (or email me at dfrakt@flagler.edu).

 

Interestingly, Atlanta's John Marshall Law School also has a pending application with the ABA to convert to non-profit status.  I wonder if they will have better luck with the ABA than Florida Coastal.

 

UPDATE:  I still don't know why Dean DeVito stepped down, but he reached out to me via e-mail and stated "my leaving had nothing do with the ABA decision."   Stay tuned...

 

UPDATE 2: I am hearing rumors that students are not receiving their federal student loans at FCSL.  This could be a real problem for FCSL if not resolved quickly.

 

UPDATE 3:  I am getting reports that former Academic Dean Jennifer Reiber has been named Interim Dean and that Peter Goplerud, a former Dean of FCSL and most recently President of FCSL's failed InfiLaw sister school Arizona Summit, is being brought in as President of FCSL.  Could that be the reason Scott DeVito decided to leave?

Michael Yelnosky Stepping Down as Dean of Roger Williams Law

Dean Michael Yelnosky has announced that he will step down from his position and return to the faculty of Roger Williams Law at the end of this school year.  He became dean in 2014.  Yelnosky is a founding faculty member of the law school, having joined the RWU community in 1993.  

Jula Hughes Named Dean of Lakehead Law

Lakehead University, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, has named Professor Jula Hughes as its new dean.  Hughes, a faculty member at the University of New Brunswick, holds an LLB from the University of Ottawa and a Ph.D from the University of Erlangen.  She joins Lakehead in October.

Willamette University College of Law seeks Dean

Willamette University College of Law invites applications and nominations for the position of Dean of the College of Law.

Click here to view position profile: http://summitsearchsolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Willamette_Dean_College_of_Law_Profile.pdf

The Position:

The dean of the College of Law will be committed to excellence in teaching and pedagogy, research and scholarly productivity, and service. The dean will serve as a broker and architect of partnerships within the university and across the larger community to facilitate excellence and encourage innovation as the institution embraces its university identity. The successful candidate will also demonstrate the capacity to work collaboratively with students, faculty, and staff; to raise funds to support the college and its initiatives; to manage budgets effectively; and to engage effectively with a variety of local, state and national stakeholders.

 

University of Hawai‘i Law Seeks Dean

This just in:

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UH Mānoa) seeks a motivated, dynamic, and experienced visionary leader to serve as Dean of the William S. Richardson School of Law (Law School). Building upon the many strengths of the University, as well as the unique attributes of Hawai‘i and its distinctively multi-cultural and diverse populations of students, faculty, and staff, the successful candidate has an exciting opportunity to lead the Law School in becoming a stronger intellectual presence in Hawai‘i and beyond.

Reporting to the Provost, the Dean will provide leadership and guidance in all aspects of the Law School, including positioning the School locally, nationally, and globally; maximizing the benefit of its multi-cultural and Pacific Island environment; intellectual development; fundraising; and management of all aspects of the Law School operations. As a senior member of the Provost’s team, the Dean is expected to ensure the mission and goals of the Law School are aligned with and supportive of the vision and strategic mission of UH Mānoa and the University of Hawai‘i System, and therefore judiciously balance the best interests of the School with those of the campus, the system, and the community.

The Law School is dedicated to excellence in legal education and scholarship, and the promotion of social justice, ethical responsibility, and public service. It places special importance on the students’ understanding and application of the laws affecting the unique history, diversity, and ecosystems of the State of Hawai‘i and the Pacific Region. Many of its programs and clinics including Environmental Law, Native Hawaiian Law, Pacific-Asian Legal and International Studies, and Elder Law programs are nationally and globally recognized. The faculty, staff, and students are engaged in outstanding scholarship, practice, and/or service.

Katharine Schaffzin Appointed Dean at Memphis

The University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law has announced that it has appointed Katharine Traylor ("Kate") Schaffzin as Dean.  She had served as Interim Dean over the past year, and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs the year before that.  She is Memphis Law's first woman dean.  Congratulations!

David Yellen Resigns as Marist President

Former Loyola-Chicago and Hofstra law dean, David Yellen, resigned unexpectedly from his position as president of Marist College last year.  He had been in the role since 2016.  The interim president, Dennis Murray,  served as Marist's president  for 37 years before Yellen took the helm.  No doubt Murray was a very tough person to succeed - and presumably there are some people who are very happy to see things return to "normal."

NCCU Law Seeks Dean

This just in:

North Carolina Central University (NCCU) invites applications and nominations for the position of Dean of the School of Law.

As the nation’s first public liberal arts institution founded for African-Americans, NCCU has provided premier education through comprehensive programming at the baccalaureate, masters, professional and doctoral levels for more than a century. NCCU is part of the 17-campus University of North Carolina (UNC) system, and located in Durham, North Carolina’s acclaimed Research Triangle area.

Established in 1939, North Carolina Central University’s School of Law offers two programs leading to the Juris Doctor degree: a full-time day program and a part-time evening program. The School of Law provides an opportunity for an outstanding legal education to those who continue to be underrepresented in the legal profession.

The successful candidate will have an entrepreneurial and innovative mindset, tenacious drive and service-oriented heart. It is important that the next Dean be an advocate for the Law School’s founding mission: to provide a high quality, personalized, practice-oriented and affordable legal education to
historically underrepresented students from diverse backgrounds in order to help diversify the legal profession. The Dean will work closely with the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and other deans and academic leaders, under the overall University leadership of Chancellor Dr. Johnson O. Akinleye.

More information about the position requirements, the leadership agenda, and the application process can be found in the position profile here.  The NCCU School of Law web site is here and the University’s web site is here. 

The search is being assisted by Academic Search, Inc. For a confidential discussion of this position prior to applying or nominating, please contact John Garland, Senior Consultant, jwg@academic-search.com or William F. Howard, Vice President and Senior Consultant, wfh@academic-search.com. The position will remain open until filled, but only applications received by August 26, 2019 can be assured full consideration. Materials should include a letter of interest, a curriculum vitae, and a list of at least five professional references. Materials may be sent to NCCULawDean@academic-search.com.

North Carolina Central University values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity for all persons regardless of age, color, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status or any other status protected by law. Moreover, North Carolina Central University is open to people of all races.

Elena Langan Named Dean of Touro Law

The Touro College and University System has announced that Elena B. Langan has been appointed dean of its law school.  Langan, who is currently the dean of Concordia Law, in Boise, will assume her new position in August.  She holds a JD from the University of Maryland.

Susan Freiwald Named Dean of USF Law

The University of San Francisco School of Law announced that Interim Dean Susan Freiwald has been named to the position permanently.  Freiwald, who holds a JD from Harvard, took over on an interim basis last summer.

Tony Varona Named Dean of Miami Law

The University of Miami School of Law has named American University law professor Anthony Varona as its new dean. Varona previously served as both vice dean and associate dean for faculty and academic affairs at American.   He holds a JD from Boston College and an LLM from Georgetown.

Dean Jose Frontera Named VP at Pontifical Catholic

Dean Jose Frontera, of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law, has been named the university's new vice-president of finance and administration.  He has been replaced by an interim dean, Fernando Moreno, who was previously the law school's associate dean.

Dean Jennifer Brown Named Quinnipiac Interim Provost

Quinnipiac Law Dean Jen Brown has been named the university's interim EVP and provost, effective this month.  During her time in university administration, former dean Brad Saxton will helm the law school.  

Joseph Harroz Named Interim President of Oklahoma

The University of Oklahoma College of Law dean, Joseph Harroz Jr., has been named the interim president of the university.  He will serve for at least 15 months.  Harroz has been the dean of the law school since 2010.  An interim dean of the law school will be announced shortly.