Texas Tech announces new law school dean with Texas ties

Texas Tech announced Monday a new dean of its school of law who currently serves at the University of Mississippi but has Texas ties.

Jack Nowlin, who currently serves as the senior associate dean, professor of law and Jessie D. Puckett Jr. Lecturer at the University of Mississippi School of Law, was named to head Tech’s law school, said Chris Cook, Tech’s managing director of the office of communications and marketing.

At Mississippi, Nowlin’s primary responsibilities are faculty development, strategic planning, communications and special projects. According to the Ole Miss website, Nowlin directs the law school’s faculty workshop program and works with faculty and staff in many areas.

“I am so pleased to come back home to Texas after so many years away,” Nowlin said. “West Texas is a wonderful place with wonderful people, and I still have family here. I know that this is the start of something truly special.”

Nowlin was one of four finalists for the dean position. He will start on July 15.

“We are very excited that Dr. Nowlin is returning to his Texas roots to become the next dean of the School of Law,” said Texas Tech Provost Michael Galyean. “Jack brings just the right combination of scholarship, administrative experience, people skills and leadership ability to this position, and I am confident of a bright future for the School of Law under his guidance.”

“Jack Nowlin impressed the search committee with his communication skills, forward thinking ideas, leadership qualities and strategic operational perspective,” said W. Brent Lindquist, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences who served as the search committee chairman. “His experience at the University of Mississippi is very relevant to addressing the challenges faced by the School of Law at Texas Tech University.”

Nowlin said he is looking forward to reconnecting with Tech — he has family who are alumni and he is a product of the Texas Tech University System, having graduated from Angelo State University. He is also looking forward to leading the School of Law into a new era.

“The Texas Tech University School of Law is a great school with great traditions,” Nowlin said. “I will lead the law school community in finding new ways to make this great school even better.”

Nowlin has been at Mississippi since the summer of 2000, and has taught courses on constitutional law, jurisprudence, criminal procedure, criminal law and academic legal writing. His research interests include judicial power, interpretive theory and constitutional structure.

He earned a bachelor of arts degree from ASU, a J.D. from the University of Texas and a master’s degree and a doctorate from Princeton University.

Nowlin will replace Darby Dickerson, who announced her resignation in October 2016 after being named deal of the John Marshall Law School in Chicago. She formally stepped down on Jan. 1.

Richard Rosen, the Glenn D. West Endowed Professor of Law at Tech, is serving as interim dean.