Boston University School of Law Position Description: Dean of the School of Law Position: Location: Position Summary: Dean Boston University School of Law Boston, Massachusetts The Dean provides academic, intellectual, and administrative leadership of the School of Law and promotes excellence in all aspects of the School s research, teaching, and practice missions. The successful candidate will be nationally recognized, with demonstrated leadership and administrative skills, strong scholarly visibility, and will understand and value the culture of integrity, inclusion, innovation, intellectual life, and student services that characterizes BU Law. The Dean will share the law school s strong commitments to excellence in research, teaching, and practice, and will lead the School in its ongoing mission to prepare a diverse body of students for the ethical practice of law around the globe, to serve the public interest, and to provide the profession, the academy, and the public with ideas, perspectives, and analyses that enrich a comprehensive understanding of the law, adapted to the needs of a changing world. Boston University School of Law Since its founding in 1872, Boston University School of Law has been open to all students of ability, making it among the first U.S. law schools to admit women and minority students, without regard to religious affiliation. We strive to honor our early commitment to diversity and inclusion through concrete and visible measures that evolve with understandings of cultural competency in an increasingly diverse legal profession. The law school s culture is also characterized by commitments to integrity, teaching excellence, curricular innovation, public service, and a rich intellectual life marked by influential scholarship and the collegial exchange of ideas. The law school has benefitted greatly from the exceptional 14-year leadership of Dean Maureen O Rourke, named one of the most influential people in legal education by The National Jurist for the past three years. O Rourke leaves the School with well-functioning administrative leadership across a range of areas from admissions and financial aid to career development and student affairs. The law school is housed in a state-of-the-art-complex, including the Sumner M. Redstone Building, a nearly 100,000-square-foot, five-story classroom facility that opened in 2014, and the 17-story Law Tower, which re-opened in 2015 after a complete renovation. A capital campaign launched in 2012 with a goal of raising $80 million by 2017 was recently extended to raise $100 million by 2019. There is no remaining financial obligation on the building, and when the campaign is completed, an additional $55 million over and above the building expense will remain for enhancement to financial aid, faculty scholarship, and programmatic support. The success of the capital campaign is attributable to a highly engaged and supportive base of 24,000 alumni worldwide, including over 17,000 J.D. alumni and 7,000 LL.M. alumni. These dedicated alumni include lawyers in leading law firms and major corporations, prominent business leaders, Page 1 of 8
distinguished public servants, and influential scholars. Alumni support for the law school has grown significantly over the course of the capital campaign and through the tireless efforts of Dean O Rourke and the many leaders of our alumni community. Simply put, the law school is in a moment of enviable strength on which the next dean will build. Boston University School of Law routinely ranks at or near #20 in U.S. News and World Report s law school rankings, as well as in the Leiter Law Report s ranking for law school scholarly excellence. The School enrolled 236 J.D. students in the class of 2020, with a median undergraduate GPA of 3.73 and a median LSAT of 165. In addition to the J.D., BU Law offers highly sought after advanced degrees in Taxation (residential and online), Banking and Financial Law, Intellectual Property Law, International Business Law (blended and online), and American Law (for non-u.s. lawyers). A total of 340 students from 46 countries around the world are enrolled in the School s LL.M. programs in 2017-2018. The full-time faculty includes 43 tenured and tenure-track professors who are primarily engaged in classroom teaching, 13 full-time faculty whose focus is primarily experiential or clinical teaching, several full-time faculty engaged in teaching who are not on the tenure track, and the Director of the Law Library, who is not on the tenure track. Among the primarily classroom tenured and tenure-track faculty, eleven hold Ph.D. s in the fields of Anthropology, Economics, History, Law, Philosophy, and Political Science. The faculty is highly productive and influential, including leading scholars in fields such as administrative law, antitrust law, constitutional law, corporate law, criminal procedure, critical race theory, feminism and law, health law, intellectual property, law and economics, and legal history. The faculty produce books, articles, casebooks, and other scholarly works at an impressive volume. The publication of ambitious scholarly books a hallmark of an outstanding law faculty has become a signature strength of our faculty in recent years. These books span a wide range of fields and many reflect rich interdisciplinary perspectives. Moreover, the work of BU Law scholars has been highly influential. The Leiter Law Report, which measures scholarly impact objectively by counting citations, has placed the School at #21 in the United States. The Associate Dean for Intellectual Life, a position filled on a rotating basis by a full-time faculty member, serves as an ombudsman for promoting the scholarship and intellectual reputation of the School as well as improving the overall scholarly life of the institution. The School s intellectual life is exemplified by our numerous vibrant workshop programs. Attendance at workshops is very strong, and it is an established ethic of the law school s intellectual community that the purpose of workshops is to improve the papers. In addition to a general weekly faculty workshop, BU Law holds specialized workshop series on legal history, intellectual property, law and economics, and gender, law, and public policy. Besides providing opportunities for in-house presentations, these workshops consistently have brought in some of the most notable scholars in their respective fields. Law school faculty also take advantage of the highly collaborative and cross-disciplinary research environment at BU and in the unparalleled academic community in the Boston area. For example, in 2016, the United States Department of Health and Human Services selected the School of Law and Kevin Outterson, a BU professor of law to lead a novel $350 million trans-atlantic public/private partnership to spur the preclinical development of new antibiotics and antimicrobial rapid diagnostics and vaccines, chosen in part based on long-standing collaborations with faculty at the Schools of Medicine and Public Health. Recent collaborations with computer scientists and cyber-security experts at BU that focus on the challenges involved in adapting legal rules to the Page 2 of 8
fast-evolving technological reality form part of the law school s emerging leadership in technology law. Without sacrificing scholarly excellence and engagement, the faculty has long enjoyed a strong reputation for teaching effectiveness that sets us apart from most highly-ranked law schools. Historically, BU Law has placed at or near the top of the Princeton Review s rankings of law teaching faculties, placing first in the fall 2016 rankings. The breadth and depth of the School of Law s curriculum is reflected in the over 200 courses, seminars, and clinical opportunities available to upper-level students. BU Law has become a leader in clinical education, and the School guarantees all students who want it at least one clinical experience during law school. The School s leadership in clinical education continues with new clinics that provide exciting opportunities for students to receive training in innovation-related business ventures. The law school is home to the following clinics: the Civil Litigation Program in Housing, Employment, Family Law, and Disability; the Criminal Clinic, including a Prosecutor Clinic, Public Defender Clinic, and Juvenile Public Defender Clinic; the Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, and Cyberlaw Program, a collaboration between BU Law and MIT; the Human Trafficking Clinic; the International Human Rights Clinic; the Legislative Practice Clinic that includes policy work at the Statehouse as well as Legislative Drafting; and the Wrongful Convictions Clinic. Recent curricular innovations emphasize improving skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, and negotiation, while maintaining our core commitment to legal analysis, legal research and writing, and substantive law. All first-year students take a five-credit Lawyering course focused on legal writing, client counseling, moot court, and negotiation, and also participate in an intensive one-credit Lawyering Lab held between semesters, a simulation-based course that emphasizes critical 21 st century skills. Boston University School of Law enjoys a culture of integrity, transparency, and respect in leadership and shared governance that has produced a high degree of faculty and student satisfaction. We seek a visionary Dean who values our culture and brings optimism, energy, and humanity to the continuing task of striving for excellence in legal education. Responsibilities The following describe the primary duties and responsibilities of the Dean: In collaboration with the faculty, administration, and staff, imagines, articulates, and implements a vision for BU School of Law; provides leadership, advocates for, and drives strategies aimed at achieving the School s mission and vision; and establishes the School as the source of advances and best practices in law. Demonstrates a high level of personal and professional commitment, enthusiasm, integrity, and pride in the values of the University, the School, and the legal profession. Leads the School s fundraising efforts as part of the University s ongoing comprehensive campaign. Assesses the institutional and external environments and judges support for initiatives from institutional leaders, faculty, administrators, and potential benefactors. Page 3 of 8
Effectively communicates with a wide audience of students, faculty, University administrators, alumni, community members, and potential benefactors. Engages in strategic planning from inception to implementation; establishes specific, measurable goals and other performance expectations; employs a systematic review of progress toward goals and objectives; and effectively communicates the key findings to relevant School and institutional members. Empowers and supports faculty, administrators, and staff to achieve performance goals and objectives, inspires accomplishment of goals and objectives, and models professional excellence. Establishes appropriate mechanisms to select, support, and retain highly-qualified faculty, administrators, and other staff, and acts to ensure their professional success, maximizing their ability to contribute to the School of Law and Boston University. Establishes appropriate mechanisms to recruit, support, and retain highly-qualified students in various programs, with particular attention to students from underrepresented minority groups. Promotes a positive, diverse, and inclusive School environment that ensures all faculty, administrators, staff, and students are treated with dignity and respect and, in particular, creates administrative structures and interventions to achieve the University s and the School s goals regarding diversity, inclusion, and equity. Motivates and facilitates inter-organizational collaboration in research, education, and practice between the School of Law and other schools, colleges, and centers of the University. Establishes, implements, maintains, and leads an effective management structure and team. Oversees development and effective utilization of financial, human, and technological resources and physical infrastructure. Establishes and maintains effective relationships with other deans and leaders within the University. Serves within the University leadership structure, reporting to the University Provost and Chief Academic Officer of Boston University, and participating in substantive ways in a twice-monthly meeting with the Council of Deans. Required Qualifications The ideal candidate will have: A record of distinguished scholarly accomplishment and a strong commitment to research, teaching, and service commensurate with appointment as a full professor in the School. A demonstrated track record of fostering an inclusive environment through recruitment and retention. Page 4 of 8
A demonstrated track record of progressively responsible administrative experience and academic leadership, and a portfolio of professional successes. Strong and proven capabilities in complex organizational management including strategic planning, financial stewardship, budget creation, resource allocation, human resource management, risk management, and related decision-making. Experience and proven success in fundraising. The demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with leaders across organizations. Exemplary interpersonal and communication skills. Impeccable integrity, sense of professionalism, and sound judgment. A deep and comprehensive understanding of the challenges facing higher education and legal education in particular. Opportunities The position offers opportunities for a leader who can: Collaboratively create a vision for the School of Law that continues its established record of excellence in its mission to provide the profession, the academy, and the general public with ideas, perspectives, and analyses that enrich a comprehensive understanding of the law, adapted to the needs of a changing world. Capitalize on the interdisciplinary environment within the School of Law and further strengthen collaborations with other colleges, departments, and centers at Boston University. Capitalize on the University s commitment to promoting student-centered learning through the use of emerging technologies and digital innovations to continue to strengthen the School of Law s J.D. and LL.M. programs. Academic Credentials that Merit Appointment as Full Professor Appointment to the rank of full professor in law requires that the individual have a record of distinguished scholarly accomplishments, recognition as a national/international leader in their area of specialization, evidence of excellence in teaching, and significant leadership in service to their university and profession. Compensation Boston University will provide a competitive compensation and benefits package appropriate for a position of this scope, stature, and level of responsibility. Page 5 of 8
Boston University: An Overview Boston University, a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), is one of the leading private research and teaching institutions in the world, with two primary campuses in the heart of Boston and programs around the globe. Chartered in 1869, the University today enrolls over 33,000 students, including over 16,000 undergraduates, and employs nearly 4,000 faculty members across 17 schools and colleges. BU is the fourth largest private research university in the United States and one of the Boston area s largest employers. BU s students come from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Students pursue studies on the Charles River and Medical Campuses as well as study abroad programs in over 30 cities around the world. Beginning as an institution serving the local Boston area and New England, Boston University has emerged as a major private research university hosting leading researchers and scholars in myriad disciplines while offering highly-ranked undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. The growth of Boston University over the last quarter century has been profound, as it has evolved from a regional university with a focus on undergraduate and professional education, to an internationally recognized, residential, research university that performed over $400 million of sponsored research last year across both Boston campuses. These education and research programs are sustained by an annual operating budget of approximately $2.2 billion. From its earliest days, Boston University has opened its doors to women and minorities. Founded in 1839 (in Newbury, Vermont) as a Methodist seminary, the University was incorporated in 1869 and emerged in the twentieth century as a Boston-area institution. Until the early 1970s, the University was mainly non-residential, with a modest research profile and limited on-campus housing. The transformation into today s Boston University began in the early 1970s with a conscious decision to raise the University s standing and quality by marshaling resources, primarily from operating funds, to build an infrastructure for basic and applied research and to improve the campus by adding residential facilities. These facilities now include state-of-the-art laboratories and residential high-rises that anchor the John Hancock Student Village and redefine Boston University s skyline. Boston University is young as a major research university, having fundamentally transformed itself within a roughly 40-year span. This transformation makes possible still more ambitious aspirations. Shortly after his appointment in 2005 as the University s tenth president, Robert A. Brown, with the enthusiastic support of a revitalized board of trustees, initiated the University s first community-wide strategic planning process. The plan that resulted in fall of 2007, Choosing to Be Great, defined clear priorities and set ambitious goals including expenditures of $1.8 billion over a decade and generated broad support across the University s schools and colleges (see Choosing to Be Great at bu.edu/president/strategic-plan). Following considerable progress in meeting the goals outlined in the 10-year span of the plan, a revision of the plan was completed in 2014 that takes into account new opportunities and challenges. (The plan s seven points can be found at https://www.bu.edu/president/state-of-the-university-fall-2014/.) The University s basic economic model has proved robust, and prudent management decisions have protected the University s financial soundness even during periods of uncertainty. In fact, Fiscal Year 2017 marked the best-ever financial performance of the University. The University generated $180.3 million in reserves that are used to advance academic initiatives and for facility renovation and renewal. Page 6 of 8
The University is engaged in its first-ever $1.5 billion dollar comprehensive campaign with gifts and pledges totaling over $1.3 billion to date. Concerted outreach to the more than 300,000 living alumni of the University during the period of the campaign and significant recent major gifts to the University justify optimism that private giving will continue at a brisk pace. Cash and giftsin-kind to the University for FY2017 totaled $157.5 million, an all-time high. Boston University s transformation is perhaps most evident in the national and international recognition achieved by faculty in diverse fields on both campuses and in prestigious grants to distinguished programs or departments. U.S. News & World Report ranked BU #39 worldwide in their 2018 list of Best Global Universities and #37 in their 2018 rating of Best National Universities in the United States. Contact Nominations and expressions of interest should be addressed to: Professor David I. Walker LAW Dean Search Advisory Committee c/o Office of the University Provost Boston University One Silber Way, 8th Floor Boston, Massachusetts 02215 lawdeansearch@bu.edu Prospective candidates should include a current curriculum vitae and a letter expressing interest. Candidates will be asked to provide references after preliminary review and screening. Confidentiality will be maintained by all faculty and staff involved in the search process; references will be contacted only with the express consent of the applicant. While nominations and applications will be accepted until a new Dean is selected, interested parties are encouraged to submit their materials before January 31, 2018, to ensure full consideration. Boston University is committed to fostering a diverse university community within a supportive and respectful environment. We believe that the diversity of our faculty, students, and staff is essential to our success as a leading research university with a global reach, and that diversity is an integral component of institutional excellence. We are particularly interested to learn how prospective candidates can help support the School s commitments to creating a more diverse and inclusive climate. Boston University is an equal opportunity employer and gives consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. If you d like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant under the law, please download the EEO brochure to view your rights. If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to complete the employment application process, please contact the Equal Opportunity Office at 617-353-6474 or druckman@bu.edu. Page 7 of 8
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