Dean

Overview

The City University of New York (CUNY) seeks a mission-oriented, engaged, and highly collaborative leader with a deep commitment to social justice and the public interest for the position of Dean of the School of Law.

The CUNY School of Law educates lawyers in service of human needs and aims to transform the teaching, learning, and practice of law to include those who are historically excluded, marginalized, or oppressed. Reporting to the Chancellor, the Dean will lead a school that is a national and international leader in experiential legal education, acclaimed for its Lawyering program, capstone clinics, and innovative pedagogical approaches. As the only publicly funded law school in New York City, CUNY Law is dedicated to expanding access to excellent legal training, including a four-year part-time evening program launched in 2015.

CUNY Law is built on a tradition of social justice lawyering, with movements for social change driven by leadership and collaboration with communities affected by injustice. The law school emphasizes diversity and is committed to partnering with local and community-based organizations to advance justice in practice. The Dean position offers the opportunity to join the nation’s leading urban public university and contribute to the university’s collaborative executive team across CUNY’s 26 institutions.

Responsibilities

• Provide bold, principled leadership with integrity and clarity, articulating a mission-driven vision that aligns the Law School’s academic, operational, and community-facing work within a complex environment.
• Foster trust and shared purpose among faculty, staff, and students; set clear expectations for collaboration, mutual respect, transparency, and academic excellence.
• Represent CUNY Law with confidence and strengthen its standing as a premier public interest law school within the CUNY system and New York City.

Qualifications

• Clear commitment to social justice, public interest law, and inclusive excellence.
• Experience leading a law school or similarly complex academic unit; ability to navigate academic, regulatory, and political landscapes.
• Familiarity with how government, non-profit organizations, and community-based institutions impact legal education and the practice of law.
• Strong leadership, communication, and collaborative skills to build trust across diverse stakeholders.

Application Process

All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include a CV/resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the leadership profile. For fullest consideration, all materials should be received by September 1, 2026.

Direct nominations and inquiries to the WittKieffer consultants assisting CUNY with this recruitment: Werner Boel and Ashlee Musser at the listed contact, and materials submitted via WittKieffer\'s candidate portal.

Compensation and Equal Opportunity

The salary range for this position is $365,000–$425,000, commensurate with experience.

CUNY’s Policy on Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination applies to all colleges and units and covers recruitment, employment, retention, promotion, benefits, and student services without discrimination on any prohibited basis in accordance with federal, state, and city laws.

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