Archive for the ‘Dean News’ Category

The dean of the of the University of Mississippi School of Law has informed students that he’ll step down from his post in June and return to teaching.

Samuel Davis is in his third term and took the position in July 1997.

In a letter dated Tuesday, Davis told students he reached the decision after “much reflection and discussion” with the chancellor and provost.

His last day will be June 30.

Davis said he may take a sabbatical before returning to the classroom.

In the letter, Davis said it “has been a privilege and an honor” to serve as dean and that the school has improved during his tenure with the help of faculty, staff and students.

[WKRG]

On November 19 Dean John Farmer of the Rutgers-Newark Law School talked about his book Ground Truth: The Story Behind America’s Defense of 9/11 in the Baker Court Room. Law students, friends of the dean, faculty, and curious passers-by gathered to hear Farmer’s take on this ever-controversial chapter in recent US history.

“You can’t help but feel responsible,” reflected Farmer, recounting some of the experiences of that day. He added, “That question has haunted me ever since: what happened that day?”

Far from just another researcher, Farmer served as senior counsel and team leader of the National Commission on Terrorists Attacks Upon the United States, more commonly known as the 9/11 Commission. The official report of the 9/11 Commission serves as the commonly accepted history regarding those fateful attacks on the US, and Farmer was its principal author.

Ground Truth was a further exploration of the confusion surrounding the tragedy. He posits that it is the “estrangement” of governmental leaders from the bureaucracies they run which made the conspiracy possible.

He cited the same estrangement as one of the principle causes for the inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina, warning listeners that those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it.

In addition to being instrumental in the 9/11 Commission. Farmer served as the Attorney General for the state of New Jersey from 1999-2002, and was on duty during the attacks.

[Rutgers Observer]

Mat Staver, dean of Liberty University School of Law and founder of Liberty Counsel, appeared on CBS’ “The Early Show” Wednesday morning regarding a complaint Liberty Counsel filed with the FCC against ABC for airing the controversial performance by Adam Lambert during the 2009 American Music Awards.

Dean Staver said on the national television program that Lambert’s performance was shocking and patently offensive. He said Lambert’s performance came without warning and that ABC should be fined for airing the segment.

In the complaint, the performance was called “obscene” and “indecent.” Under the laws regulating televised broadcasts, particularly between the family viewing hours of 6 to 10 p.m., the Federal Communications Commission prohibits obscene or indecent performances. “Liberty Counsel urges the Commission to take action against ABC, Inc., for airing such an outrageously lewd and filthy performance during a show and time period that is targeted for family audiences,” the complaint reads.

[Liberty]

Belmont University has named Jeffrey Kinsler as the founding dean for the school’s new College of Law.

Kinsler is a law professor and senior scholar with Elon University School of Law in North Carolina. He previously served as dean of Appalchian School of Law, which he led to full American Bar Association approval during his tenure.

Kinsler helped Belmont as a consultant with the plans for opening the new college. His tenure starts in early 2010.

“Jeff Kinsler is a perfect fit for Belmont. He is highly respected in the legal community and has previously provided leadership as dean in the creation of another law school. Most importantly, he understands our dreams and aspirations for creating a College of Law that is driven by the mission and core values of Belmont University,” Belmont President Bob Fisher said in a statement.

[Nashville Business Journal]

Daisy Hurst Floyd will step down as dean of Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law next July, school officials said Wednesday.

Floyd informed the law school’s student body via e-mail Wednesday. She will step down as dean July 1, 2010, but remain as a tenured member of the school’s faculty after taking a sabbatical next year, school officials said.

In her e-mail to students, Floyd wrote: “I am proud of the accomplishments we have achieved together and grateful for the work of so many that has made those accomplishments possible. It has been an exceptional privilege to serve as your dean.”

Floyd will be appointed a professor of law and ethical formation, which will allow her to lead Mercer in interdisciplinary collaborations among its various colleges, she said in her e-mail.

Officials said Mercer President Bill Underwood would soon be forming a search committee for a new dean, but no timetable has been set.

In a Wednesday night news release from the university, Underwood said, “Daisy Floyd has become one of our most respected deans and academic leaders. I have come to admire her leadership skills, respect her strength of character, and value her friendship and her many and varied contributions to the life of the university. While the university will be poorer for its loss of her leadership as dean of the school of law, we will be enriched by the contributions she will make in her exciting new role as university professor of law and ethical formation.”

Mercer wasn’t listed in the 2010 U.S. News & World Report rankings of the top 100 law schools in America.

[Macon.com]

Michael H. Schill, dean of the UCLA School of Law and a nationally known scholar of property law, has been appointed as the next dean of the University of Chicago Law School, University President Robert J. Zimmer and Provost Thomas F. Rosenbaum announced today.

Schill’s appointment takes effect Friday, Jan. 1, 2010.

During his five years at UCLA, Schill has successfully recruited leading legal scholars from top schools across the nation. He has launched three new legal research centers and two academic specialization programs. Alumni participation in fundraising has doubled since he arrived, and private philanthropy has tripled.

Schill, the author of three books and more than 40 articles, has continued to pursue his scholarship in real estate and housing policy, deregulation, finance and discrimination, He is a co-author of the property law casebook used by more than half of all law students nationwide.

“We are very confident that Mike will bring to the deanship the values, vision, aspirations, University-wide perspective and leadership to help ensure that the future of the Law School is as compelling as its past,” Zimmer and Rosenbaum wrote in a joint e-mail to Law School faculty and staff.

[University of Chicago]

In general, Davis believes the liberal arts college has underplayed its hand when it comes to reaching out to local residents. She hopes to help professors develop a slate of options for the casual student — maybe a faculty-led book club, or a lecture series by the most passionate speakers.

“A university is like an intellectual Disneyland,” she said.

John Farmer Jr., who took over as dean of Rutgers’ Newark law school, says he’s going to ratchet up involvement of alumni, several of whom had encouraged the former state attorney general and 9/11 commission’s chief counsel to make the career shift. He follows the example of the business school’s Michael Cooper, a former CEO who two years ago became the first dean at Rutgers from outside the world of higher education.

Farmer plans to draw some former students back to campus through continuing-education courses, and maybe new degree offerings that match the school’s strengths. He also envisions regularly scheduled lunches, to encourage alumni to talk with current students more frequently.

“The students will find it fascinating, and the alumni will really like interacting with the students,” he said.

[The Star-Ledger]