DEAN, DUKE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW

Duke University seeks applications and nominations for the position of Dean of the School of Law to succeed David F. Levi, who will step down in June 2018. The Dean is the chief academic and administrative officer of the Law School and reports to the University Provost. The Dean leads the Law School’s efforts in strategic planning, faculty appointments, budgeting, administrative oversight, alumni and external relations, and development. The Dean is also responsible for supporting the intellectual vitality and collegial culture of the Law School, for developing productive relationships with University peers and administrators, and for maintaining strong affiliations with all segments of the legal profession.

The search committee is conducting an  international search to identify outstanding candidates for the position in the top echelon of the legal academy and among exceptional leaders with relevant experience in government, the practice of law, and the judiciary. The search committee hopes to identify a large pool of highly qualified candidates that includes persons of color, women, and individuals with diverse intellectual and professional backgrounds and experiences.

Among the top law schools in the country, Duke University School of Law stands apart as a distinctive, highly collaborative institution. The faculty are focused on preparing students for responsible and productive lives in the legal profession. They are also a community of scholars providing leadership at the national and international levels in efforts to improve the law and legal institutions through research, advocacy, and other forms of public service.

The Dean will build on a strong foundation of excellence. The Law School is ranked #10 in the most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings and has notable strengths across a host of dimensions that place it among a very elite cohort in American legal education. For example, the Princeton Review ranks Duke Law School #2 for best classroom experience and best quality of life, and #4 for best professors.

The University is seeking a Dean who understands, values, and can enhance the Law School’s core characteristics. These include a faculty that welcomes a wide range of methodologies and viewpoints. Junior faculty play significant roles in the institution, and clinical faculty have strong voices in the decision-making process. The faculty support one another in the pursuit of high quality scholarship, and service on Law School committees and projects is widely shared. There is a robust sense of collective endeavor, as well as a streamlined organizational structure that allows for experimentation both within the Law School and between the Law School and other parts of Duke University.

Duke also has an exceptionally talented and diverse student body drawn from across the United States. Students benefit from small class sizes, easy access to faculty, a wide range of curricular offerings, and rich opportunities for interdisciplinary study, and the pursuit of joint degrees. The Law School has maintained a remarkable record of success in placing its graduates, and the school’s resources have expanded with a 50% increase in the endowment over the past decade. The new leader of the Law School will thus have wide latitude for creativity and meaningful opportunities to advance the school’s mission.

The Law School is part of Duke University, an internationally renowned research institution located in the dynamic and progressive city of Durham, North Carolina, one of three vibrant cities in an area known as the Research Triangle. Duke University has engaged Isaacson, Miller to assist with this search. Additional information about the position can be found at www.imsearch.com/6360. Interested applicants should submit an updated curriculum vitae and statement of interest no later than Friday, October 27, 2017 at 5pm Eastern time.  Inquiries or nominations of individuals can also be sent via the above web address.

Duke University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual’s age, color, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.