Fall 1999, 3

Dean of the Law School David E. Van Zandt has accepted an invitation to continue serving as dean beyond the conclusion of his current five-year term, according to an announcement by University President Henry S. Bienen and Provost Lawrence B. Dumas. As is the case with all new decanal appointments, he will serve without any specific term, at the pleasure of the president and the provost.

"Provost Dumas and I strongly support Dean Van Zandt's leadership and the direction that the Law School is taking," said Bienen. Under Van Zandt's leadership, the Law School created a strategic plan that identifies its comparative advantages and charts its future directions, targeting specific areas that will prepare students to succeed in a rapidly changing marketplace. "The plan is not only a valuable guide for initiatives in the Law School, but it also is a model within the University for school-based strategic planning," said Dumas. "We look forward to David's leadership and the Law School's continuing success in the coming years."

During Van Zandt's tenure, the Law School has:

Built upon its already distinguished faculty by strategically selecting and attracting a diverse group of rising scholars and providing an atmosphere where research and teaching are emphasized and rewarded, including through new research programs and centers;
Attracted its strongest student body ever through an admissions process aided by an innovative interviewing program that places a high premium on interpersonal skills and work experience and that has resulted in rising LSAT scores during each of the last three years;
Developed its curriculum to prepare students for dramatic changes in the law and legal profession, placing more emphasis on international studies, teamwork and strategies to succeed in a marketplace that rewards cooperation as well as competition;
Developed and enhanced cross-school cooperation through the introduction of interdisciplinary programs with other schools within the University, including a nationally unprecedented relationship with the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, arguably the best business school in the nation;
Reached more than $45 million toward its campaign goal of $60 million

"We put considerable effort into creating and implementing a strategic plan that basically responds to today's marketplace," said Van Zandt. "The pressure to innovate and become more productive affects all segments of commerce, including legal employers, who demand that graduates enter practice with the judgment and maturity to assume responsibility quickly." The Law School's new admissions program is at the heart of the plan to attract such students, many of whom will pursue business and other careers after a stint in legal practice. No other major law school has a comparable interviewing program, which encourages every applicant to interview and involves several hundred alumni volunteers in the process.

"Our admissions program emphasizes work experience, maturity and interpersonal skills, and LSAT scores are rising at the same time," said Van Zandt. "The overriding goal is to attract students with the necessary skills to ultimately compete in a highly competitive marketplace, with the Law School providing ample opportunities for the teamwork and collegiality that are necessary for that success."