Journal Title
Association of American Law Schools
Volume
N/A
Issue
N/A
First Page
1
Document Type
Article
Publication Information
2026
Abstract
It is no small thing when a law school loses its dean. The departure triggers a national search, stalls institutional momentum, disrupts fundraising, and requires rebuilding years of relationships with faculty, alumni, and university leadership, all while the institution navigates one of the most turbulent periods in legal education's history. Approximately 25 percent of the nation's law schools transition to a new dean in any given year. That reality prompted this study.
This study combined a survey of 624 current and former law school deans, which yielded 256 responses and data on 294 deanships, with 70 qualitative interviews conducted between November 2025 and February 2026. What the study found should concern everyone who cares about the future of legal education.
Recommended Citation
Katie Kempner & Patricia Roberts, Relentless: The Pressures Shortening Law School Deanships and What Must Change (Washington, DC, Association of American Law Schools, 2026).