Deans & Legal Education
A Selected Bibliography

Law School Constituencies

Doan Braveman, Staff Development, 34 U. Tol. L. Rev. 27 (2002).
The author discusses the importance of staff to the efficient functioning of the law school and outlines the staff development programs he instituted. 

Nora V. Demleitner, Colliding or Coalescing: Leading a Faculty and an Administration in the Academic Enterprise, 42 U. Tol. L. Rev. 605 (2011).
This essay argues that faculty, administrative and clerical staff are indispensable to a law school’s success demand very different skills from a dean whose ultimate goal must be to have all constituencies work together cooperatively and effectively to operate a mission-driven enterprise successfully. 

R. Lawrence Dessem, Ten Things Deans Can Do with Students, 35 U. Tol. L. Rev. 45 (2003).
The author offers his “top ten” list of ways for deans to build positive relationships with students. 

Darby Dickerson, Staff Matter(s), 35 U. Tol. L. Rev. 199 (2003).
The author discusses Stetson’s efforts to improve its system of employee communication and recognition.   

Darby Dickerson, Staff Matter(s), 36 U. Tol. L. Rev. 47 (2004).
The author praises the contributions of law school staff.

Kristin Booth Glen, Deaning for Whom? Means and Ends in Legal Education, 31 Seattle U. L. Rev. 739-750 (2008).
The author reflects that, “[f]or me, the students, together with the clients they will serve as lawyers, are the reason for being a dean.”

N. William Hines, Are Students a Dean’s Primary Constituency?, 31 U. Tol. L. Rev. 629 (2000).
The author argues that students are the constituency most in need of the dean’s careful attention and continuing support to help them get the maximum benefit from their law school experience, drawing specifically on his experience at the University of Iowa Law School. 

James L. Huffman, Satisfying a Variety of Constituencies in Law School Leadership Strategies: Top Deans on Benchmarking Success, Incorporating Feedback from Faculty and Students, and Building the Endowment 2006, 57-70 (Inside the Minds Series 2006).
The author offers his perspective on meeting, and balancing, the expectations of all the law school community’s member groups.

Alex M. Johnson, Jr., Having a Faculty That Everyone Wants, 36 U. Tol. L. Rev. 95 (2004).
The author discusses dealing with the hardship of faculty leaving one law school to go to another and suggests that it is not the end of the world.

Kevin R. Johnson, The Forgotten Constituency? Law School Deans and Students, 42 U. Tol. L. Rev. 637 (2011).
The dean of the University of California, Davis law school discusses the importance of maintaining a good relationship between the law school’s dean and its students and his process-based approach to the dean-student relationship.

Richardson R. Lynn, Advance to the Retreat, 31 U. Tol. L. Rev. 661 (2000).
The author advocates using an annual faculty retreat as a means to improve faculty morale. 

Richard A. Matasar, The Ten Commandments of Faculty Development, 31 U. Tol. L. Rev. 665 (2000).
The author presents guidance for successful faculty development. 

Blake D. Morant, Reflections of a Novice: Four Tenets for a New Dean, 40 U. Tol. L. Rev. 385 (2009). 
The author presents four lessons learned from his first year as dean of Wake Forrest University School of Law.  These four lessons include creating a vision, assembling an effective team, seeking connections with various constituencies, and striving for self-awareness and balance. 

Kenneth C. Randall, Staff Matters, 34 U. Tol. L. Rev. 153 (2002).
The author emphasizes the importance of staff to the running of a law school and offers advice for dean-staff relations.

Nancy B. Rapoport, Going From “Us” to “Them” in Sixty Seconds, 31 U. Tol. L. Rev. 703 (2000).
The author briefly addresses some of the pitfalls of becoming a dean, with specific reference to relationships with faculty. 

Douglas E. Ray, Minnesotan: A Language for Constructive Communication Between Faculty and Dean, 34 U. Tol. L. Rev. 159 (2002).
The author draws on the parody book How to Talk Minnesotan, for examples of how to communicate effectively with faculty, while avoiding hurt feelings and needless confrontation. 

Douglas E. Ray, The Care and Appreciation of Adjunct Faculty, 37 U. Tol. L. Rev. 135 (2005).
The author describes Widner University School of Law’s efforts to build strong support from the bench and bar through adjunct teaching.

Edward Rubin, Commentary:  Accepting the Job and First Key Steps, 31 Seattle U. L. Rev. 853 (2008).
The author reflects on what he has learned by being a dean, especially from his experience negotiating with the central university administration.

E. Thomas Sullivan, Decanal Leadership: Managing Relationships, 31 U. Tol. L. Rev. 749 (2000).
The author discusses the importance of managing relationships with all constituencies
for a successful deanship.