Brian Leiter's Law School Reports

Niles from Seattle to American

Dean Mark Niles, of Seattle University School of Law, is stepping down as dean. He will return to the faculty of American University Law in Washington, DC, where he taught for a dozen years prior to assuming the Seattle deanship.

McConnaughay to Peking U School of Transnational Law

Philip J. McConnaughay, dean of Penn State Dickinson School of Law, will become the next dean of Peking University’s School of Transnational Law in Shenzhen, China.  Jeffrey Lehman is the school's current chancellor and founding dean.

Schwartz Named Dean at Arkansas - Little Rock

Michael Hunter Schwartz, who is currently a professor and the associate dean at Washburn Law, has been named the new dean at the University of Arkansas - Little Rock School of Law.  He holds a JD from UC Hastings.

SMU Dean Attanasio Will Not Have Contract Renewed

Although the Dallas Morning News story (subscription required) cites an uproar over the provost's decision not to renew the John Attanasio's contract, I understand that faculty opinion is far from uniform.

National Jurist asked 350 people who "the most influential" individuals are in legal education...

...but they don't disclose how many responded.  Here's the top five according to NJ, some (Tamanaha, Henderson, Chemerinsky etc.) are not surprising.  But I trust that Jack Crittenden, the editor, will disclose the actual number of respondents and their breakdown (how many law school deans really replied to the e-mail survey, for example?).  I e-mailed him a couple of days ago, but have not yet gotten a response.

UPDATE:  Mr. Crittenden reports his "recollection" is that they had "around a 40% response rate," which would be about 140 responses.  I've inquired how many of those were actually Deans and faculty, as opposed to bloggers, journalists, etc.

Michigan Taps an Insider for Dean

Mark West.

ASU Prof Zach Kramer Sued Over Law Review Article

Professor Zachary Kramer at Arizona State Law has been sued for defamation over his article, Of Meat and Manhood, published in the Washington University Law Review.  The complaint is here.  Wash U and Western New England University School of Law - where Kramer presented the paper - have been named as co-defendants.  Robert Catalanello, the plaintiff, claims defamation, publication of private facts and false light torts. 

This suit will certainly enhance readership of Kramer's article, if nothing else.

I trust that ASU will do better by Kramer than the folks at Oregon did by Merle Weiner.

Lane Named Dean of Hofstra

Eric Lane, who was serving as interim dean at Hofstra Law, has been named to the position permanently.  Lane is a graduate of Fordham Law and joined the Hofstra faculty in 1976.

Bridgeman Named Dean at Willamette

Curtis Bridgeman, the associate dean for academic affairs at Florida State School of Law, has been named the new Dean of Willamette College of Law.  He takes over in July.  Bridgeman, who has been on the FSU faculty since 2004, holds a JD and Ph.D in Philosophy from Vanderbilt.  

Van Cleave Named Dean at Golden Gate

Rachel Van Cleave, the current interim dean at Golden Gate University School of Law, has now been named the school's permanent dean.