Mark Niles, an outstanding legal scholar and experienced academic leader, has been appointed dean of Seattle University School of Law, effective July 1.
Niles is currently associate dean for academic affairs and professor at American University, Washington College of Law. He teaches and specializes in civil procedure, administrative law, constitutional law, governmental liability, and law and literature.
“Dean Niles stood out among an exceptional group of finalists and a large pool of applicants as the right person to lead the School of Law on its upward trajectory as one of the nation’s premier independent law schools,” said SU President Stephen Sundborg. “He shares a commitment to academic excellence, social justice and diversity that are hallmarks of the education provided by Seattle University.”
Niles has published numerous articles and essays on subjects including the Ninth Amendment, federal tort liability, airline security regulation, the first decade of the tenure of Justice Clarence Thomas, and the depiction of law and justice in American popular culture. As associate dean, he has spearheaded significant developments in the first-year curriculum and in academic skills instruction.
Earlier in his career, Niles served as a clerk for the Hon. Francis Murnaghan, Jr., of the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, as an associate at the D.C. firm of Hogan and Hartson, and as a staff attorney in the civil appellate division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he argued cases in several federal circuit courts. He serves as the reporter for the Maryland Civil Pattern Jury Instructions Committee of the Maryland State Bar Association. He is a graduate of Stanford Law School and Wesleyan University.
“I am honored to have been chosen from among the extremely impressive group of finalists for the position of dean of the Seattle University School of Law,” Niles said.
“I could not be more excited about the opportunity to help lead one of the most highly regarded and well-respected law schools in the nation. I am particularly enthusiastic about working with the exceptional community of faculty, staff and alumni to provide the highest quality educational experience for our students while serving and expanding the commitment to social justice that defines the mission of Seattle University.”
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