Dean of the S.J. Quinney College of Law

The University of Utah invites nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the S.J. Quinney College of Law.

The Dean will be a nationally recognized leader with demonstrated administrative skills and a discernible commitment to the values of the College of Law and its mission to educate, to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and to serve the public. As its chief administrative and academic officer, the Dean will foster inclusivity and diversity, promote collegiality and respectful engagement, meaningfully collaborate with others at the University and in the community, and possess an aptitude for development, donor and alumni relations, and the wise stewardship of resources. The Dean also must guide the College of Law in innovating approaches to the present challenges in legal education and in sustaining its reputation for institutional excellence.

The Dean will serve a five-year renewable term, commencing July 1, 2019. The successful candidate must have a J.D. degree. Rank and compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience; a scholarly record that supports an award of tenure and rank of full professor is preferred.

Founded in 1913, the College of Law is the only public law school in the State of Utah. The Dean will lead an exemplary group of 47 full-time faculty members, about 300 students, and a dedicated professional staff, all of whom contribute to the quality and vibrancy of the institution. Our faculty publishes works in leading journals, collaborates on prestigious interdisciplinary projects, writes impactful legal briefs and policy white papers, authors books of national and international interest, hosts cutting-edge conferences, and has a longstanding (and rising) reputation for scholarly excellence, community engagement, and inventive pedagogy. Overall, U.S. News & World Report ranks the College of Law nationally as a top 30 public law schools and a top 10 environmental program. The College of Law supports two centers of research excellence with national impact and significant student involvement. The Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources, and the Environment is dedicated to understanding our critical environmental challenges and promoting public knowledge and dialogue about sustainability. The Center for Law and Biomedical Sciences is committed to improving health law policy in the life sciences, biotechnology, bioethics, and the medical and technologic arts.

The College of Law currently has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6:1, which fosters unparalleled faculty mentoring and support for our students. Employers routinely laud our unique legal reading and writing program, a cornerstone of the first year curriculum. Our upper level courses enable our students to individualize their program to suit their future directions, and we offer six subject matter certificates and joint degree programs to that end. Outside of the classroom, our students experience learning through an extensive nationally recognized clinical program, recently ranked 15th in the country for Practical Training in 2018 by PreLaw magazine. For example, 90% of the class of 2016 participated in 14 clinics, with each student averaging over 300 hours of clinical work for credit. The College of Law also supports a remarkable, one-of-a-kind volunteer program that allows students to provide legal outreach to the local community. In 2016, our students contributed over 4000 volunteer hours and served almost 2000 clients in nine brief advice clinics. After graduation, we are proud to find our alumni pursuing distinguishing roles in every sector, in every area of law, and in every part of the country.

Building on these accomplishments, the College of Law recently opened a 155,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility designed to enhance innovation in legal education, bolster community service, and provide students with new opportunities for skills training. Designated LEED platinum, the new building incorporates award-winning accessibility and sustainability features that embody the College of Law’s deep commitment to the environment and to the community.            

As a flagship research institution in the elite Pac-12 Conference, the University of Utah enrolls approximately 26,000 undergraduate and 6,000 graduate students and ranks among the best global universities. Heralded for its entrepreneurial spirit, Forbes magazine ranked the state of Utah as the 3rd Best State For Business in 2018. Our campus is located in Salt Lake City, a progressive state capital and regional economic epicenter, which serves as a focal point of growth for a diverse metropolitan area of over one million people ranked as the 10th best city in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report in 2017. The city is home to a wide variety of cultural activities, including the Utah Symphony and Opera, Ballet West, the brand new Eccles Theatre, a vibrant concert scene, and several professional sports teams, and offers unparalleled recreational opportunities, with ten world-class ski resorts and five national parks nearby. More information about the city and the region can be found at http://www.visitsaltlake.com.

Applications, including a curriculum vitae, a letter stating the candidate’s interest and qualifications, and five professional references, should be submitted to http://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/79927. Confidential inquiries should be directed to the search committee co-chairs, Keith Diaz Moore, Professor and Dean of the College of Architecture + Planning, at diazmoore@utah.edu, and Amelia Smith Rinehart, Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development, at amelia.rinehart@law.utah.edu. The committee will review applications beginning October 5, 2018, until the position is filled.

More information about the position can be found at http://lawdeansearch.utah.edu. Please visit http://law.utah.edu and http://www.utah.edu to learn more about the S.J. Quinney College of Law and the University of Utah.

The University of Utah is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer and strongly encourages minorities, women, veterans, and persons with disabilities to apply. A veterans’ preference will be extended to qualified veterans. Reasonable disability accommodations will be provided with adequate notice. For more information, please refer to the University’s equal opportunity and nondiscriminatory employment policy: http://www.regulations.utah.edu/humanResources/5-106.html. Inquiries about University nondiscrimination and disability accommodation policies may be made to the University’s Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator by mail to Director, Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action, 201 S. Presidents Circle, Rm. 135, Salt Lake City, UT 84112 or by telephone to (801) 581-8365 (V/TDD).