Wayne State Law School names interim dean

Wayne State University named Lance Gable, an associate dean of Wayne State University Law School, as the law school’s interim dean.

Gable, a member of the Wayne faculty since 2006, is an internationally known expert on public health law and bioethics.

“We have something special here at Wayne Law,” Gable said, in a written press statement released Thursday. “Our students, faculty, staff and alumni come together as advocates who take pride in a commitment to serving the community. And as an urban law school, we recognize our important role in the continued revitalization of Detroit.”

Gable succeeds Jocelyn Benson, who last week announced she is stepping down this month to serve as CEO of the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality. That’s a venture led by professional sports organizations and networks, including the NFL, NBA and ESPN, to improve race relations in the U.S.. Benson also will serve as a special adviser on philanthropic investments to RISE founder Stephen M. Ross.

Benson will continue her affiliation with Wayne Law as director of the Levin Center at Wayne Law and co-teaching a course on Legislation with former U.S. Sen. Carl Levin.

The university will launch a national search to identify the next law school dean.

Gable has taught public health law, bioethics and the law, torts and other health law subjects at Wayne Law, according to the press release. His research addresses the overlap among law, policy, ethics, health and science. He has helped develop course materials for the World Health Organization Diploma in International Human Rights and Mental Health and has worked as a human rights consultant for the Pan American Health Organization.

In addition, he is co-chair of the university’s Stem Cell Research Oversight Committee. He has served as co-chair of the university’s Clinical and Transnational Research Ethics Workgroup and received the 2010 WSU Academy of Scholars Junior Faculty Award for the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Gable holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Johns Hopkins University and master of public health degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

laguilar@detroitnews.com

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