Dean Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School Savannah Law School
About the law school: Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2013. Initially established as a night law school, the school has remained faithful to that history as it strives to provide a rigorous legal education to all those who enroll. Despite having grown its student body and expanded its facilities substantially since earning full approval by the accrediting authority of the American Bar Association in 2009, the school remains true to its mission, “to prepare highly competent and professional lawyers who possess a strong social conscience, continually demonstrate high ethical standards, and are committed to the improvement of the legal system and society.”
Consistent with this mission, four of the ten graduates in its first class were women and it was the first in Georgia to admit African-American students in the 1940s, long before most Southern law schools. Its dedication to affording opportunities to a diverse student body persists today, as evidenced by the school’s more recent recognition in Pre-Law Magazine as one of the 25 most diverse law schools in the country. The school has additionally been noted for the high percentage of its students participating in externship opportunities, which is possible because of the richness and variety of legal services available in and around Atlanta, including government as well as private non-profit entities serving Atlanta’s varied communities.
The law school supports its mission by offering a rich and diverse curriculum. In 2011, the law school admitted an inaugural class to its novel Honors Program in Criminal Justice, which is directed by the nationally renowned founder of the premiere non-profit organization dedicated to training public defenders. The law school offers a traditional full-time day program as well as a part-time program, available both during the day and evenings. Indeed, the law school’s part-time evening division is the only such program in the state that affords an opportunity for working students to earn a law degree in four years taking classes only in the evening. In recent years the law school also added three advanced degree programs, an LL.M. in Employment Law (offered fully online only), and two LL.M.s for foreign lawyers, one residential and one fully online).
After an almost thirty year absence, the law school has re-established a branch campus in Savannah, Georgia, the Savannah Law School, which admitted its inaugural class in August, 2012. Savannah Law School occupies and is in the process of fully renovating the Old Candler Hospital, chartered by an Act of Congress in 1791, and only one of two remaining of the 26 original seaman’s hospitals spread throughout the colonies. This project is currently one of our country’s largest historical restoration projects underway.
About Atlanta: With a population of over five and a half million, Atlanta is the 9th largest metropolitan area in the country, and growing. The law school campus is located in the heart of Midtown, near Piedmont Park, the famed Fox Theatre, and across from the Woodruff Arts Center campus, which includes the High Museum of Art, the Alliance Theatre, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The thriving Atlantic Station is a short walk, as are numerous restaurants and shops. Upscale Buckhead, with its malls, high-rise condominiums and housing developments is also nearby.
Served by Hartsfield-Jackson International airport, one of the nation’s busiest, Atlanta offers easy connections to almost anywhere. In addition to our law school, numerous colleges and universities comprise the Atlanta academic community.
About the Dean: Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the dean is the chief executive officer of the law school and its most public face. There are several dimensions across which the dean must function:
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Representation. The dean speaks for the law school and represents the law school to the legal and lay communities, both in Georgia and nationally. A wide-ranging area of responsibility, the dean interacts with the Georgia bar and bench, public forums, relevant accreditation agencies, and other legal education affiliated organizations. The dean is called upon to speak and lecture publicly about the law school and legal education in all manner of forums, occasionally including international locations.
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Administration. Through an organization of professional managers and staff reporting to him/her, as administrative chief the dean manages the daily business of the law school, including financial and career services, student recruitment, facilities, technology management, personnel, student services, and all the other facets of operation. The dean organizes and submits an annual budget to the board, and has bottom line responsibility for meeting financial goals and prudent stewardship of law school resources.
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Academic. The dean leads the faculty in the delivery of the academic program and must be eligible for appointment to the faculty at the rank of Professor of Law. Accordingly, the dean must have significant experience and stature in some organization involving the law and must hold a J.D. degree from an ABA- accredited law school, or equivalent. Prior experience might include, in addition to the obvious law school experience and publications, experience in the courts, law firms, government, university administration, NGOs, private business, or some combination thereof.
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Leadership. The academic enterprise in America is in a time of turbulence and change, and with it also the whole of legal education. In consultation with others, the dean is expected to set forth a vision of how the law school navigates through today’s challenging environment and into the future, both academically and organizationally. The dean must articulate that vision such as to rally support and enthusiasm to its implementation through the constituencies the law school serves.
Our current dean, Richardson Lynn, is retiring from the law school at the end of the 2013-14 academic year. The new dean will begin on or about July 1, 2014. Nominations, resumes, and inquiries may be directed in confidence to: Michael C. Markovitz, Ph.D., Chair, Dean Search Committee, Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, 1422 West Peachtree Street, 7th floor, Atlanta, GA 30309. Attention: Ms. Farrah Fisher.
Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School/ Savannah Law School is an equal opportunity employer that recognizes and values the potential of a diverse community to enhance the academic culture and work environment of the institution for all. The Dean Search Committee encourages applications from individuals of varied experiences and backgrounds.