Seattle University School of Law hosted a groundbreaking national workshop for aspiring deans from around the country in late September. Titled “Promoting Diversity in Law School Leadership,” the workshop — the only program of its kind in the country — was specifically designed to encourage and assist members of under-represented groups in exploring the path to deanships and other university and law school leadership positions.
It was sponsored through the law school’s Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality, partnered with the Society of American Law Teachers (SALT). As the most diverse law school in the Northwest and one of the most diverse in the country, Seattle University School of Law is a recognized leader in promoting diversity within the ranks of the legal profession, and that commitment extends to enhancing diversity within law school leadership as well.
The seeds of this workshop were sown five years ago as we conducted a national dean search at SU. As a law school community, we were committed to assembling a diverse pool of candidates and we interviewed individuals who broadly represented gender, ethnic, sexual orientation, cultural, experiential and viewpoint diversity. It was apparent by the end of the screening interviews, however, that some of our most promising candidates from under-represented groups were not going to make the list of finalists for our deanship.
Two of my colleagues, professors Janet Ainsworth and Margaret Chon, recognized that these candidates had the potential to be outstanding deans, but that they might benefit from additional mentoring and guidance on when to enter the dean market and how to prepare to be successful candidates. Thus, professors Ainsworth and Chon proposed that we develop a workshop that would help make the path to leadership positions within the legal academy more transparent and accessible to all, and the partnership with SALT was born.
The first such workshop was held in 2007 at Seattle University School of Law, where experienced deans and law school administrators came together to advise and mentor aspiring deans. To our great delight, several participants in that inaugural workshop subsequently succeeded in securing deanships and more importantly — but not surprisingly — they are succeeding in their leadership roles. As an example, Kevin R. Johnson was appointed dean at the University of California Davis School of Law in 2008, after 10 years as an associate dean. He was one of the participants in the law school’s inaugural conference in 2007.
“The conference was inspirational because of the super group of participants who were energized to become law school deans and literally change the ‘face’ of law deans across the United States,” he said. “We need a diversity of law school deans for the same reasons that we need a diversity of law school students, faculty and attorneys. Efforts like this conference help ensure that the ranks of law school deans begin to more ‘look like America.’”
The second biennial workshop held this September was equally inspirational. Among the outstanding lineup of deans who shared their expertise and experiences were Blake Morant (Wake Forest), Gail Agrawal (Kansas), Kent Syverud (Washington University), Kevin Washburn (New Mexico), Jennifer Rosato (Northern Illinois), Linda Ammons (Widener), Phoebe Haddon (Maryland), LeRoy Pernell (Florida A&M), Kellye Testy (Washington), Joan Howarth (Michigan State), Lawrence Ponoroff (Arizona) and John Valery White (UNLV). The organizers of the workshop, professors Robert Chang and Tayyab Mahmud, specifically chose these deans because they share the values of inclusivity and diversity, and because they are committed to helping nurture and form the next generation of law school leaders.
The first day of the workshop was devoted to examining such topics as the nature of the dean’s job, the key areas of decanal responsibility, the joys and challenges of deaning, how to prepare for and succeed in the selection process, negotiating once an offer has been made, key first steps for a new dean, how deans interface with their university and external constituencies, and opportunities to move into other university leadership positions such as provost or president. The second day was dedicated to looking at institutional priorities and the budgeting process, how to secure and enhance revenue streams, development and advancement strategies, deaning during tough times, and how to work with search committees and search teams.
The formal programming was informative and enlightening, and participants said over and over again how much they appreciated the speakers’ candor. For individuals who aspire to leadership positions, it was reassuring and affirming to hear these highly successful deans talk about the mistakes that they’ve made, the daily challenges they’ve faced in balancing work and family life, and the ways in which their identities as women or persons of color or members of the LGBT community have shaped their professional lives and their careers as deans.
The real key to the success of the workshop, though, was the safe space it created and the opportunities it provided for the development of friendships and mentoring relationships that will last long after the conclusion of the conference. On the second day, I was thrilled to see five workshop participants grouped around a table an hour after lunch was over listening raptly to the words of an African-American dean who was generously sharing his experiences and answering their many questions.
At Seattle University School of Law, we are known for our commitment to educating outstanding lawyers who are leaders for a just and humane world. I am proud to say that the law school, our Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality and the Society of American Law Teachers also are dedicated to helping produce deans who are leaders for a just and humane world. We firmly believe that a “wise Latina” would make a great dean!
Annette Clark is the interim dean at Seattle University School of Law.
Go Back