Leadership Message

Dear Law School community,

I am delighted to announce that Daniel Hale Williams Professor of Law Zachary D. Clopton has been named dean of Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, effective Feb. 1. We will share the exciting news with the entire University community later this morning.

Professor Clopton has led with commitment and enthusiasm since he took over as interim dean in July, demonstrating his strengths as a strategic leader. Interim President Henry Bienen and I have been impressed not only by his clear vision for the Law School, but also his talent for bringing colleagues together to turn vision into action for the advancement of our faculty, students and staff. Professor Clopton is a creative thinker, a consensus builder and a tireless champion of our world-class Law School.

I want to thank the Dean Transition Advisory Group and all of those who engaged with this team to share input on future leadership of the Law School. I was pleased to hear the enthusiasm about the direction of the Law School from so many of you, and I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for the Pritzker School of Law under his leadership.

Prior to serving as interim dean, Professor Clopton served as associate dean for Research and Intellectual Life and as associate dean of Academic Programs at the Law School, among other leadership roles. Since becoming a faculty member in 2019, he has taught hundreds of students in civil procedure, international litigation and other courses. He also has joined forces with fellow faculty members on litigation topics ranging from civil rights to environmental law to international human rights, and has spearheaded amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts.

Nationally recognized for his expertise in civil procedure, and complex and international litigation, Professor Clopton has published articles in the Yale Law Journal, Stanford Law Review, University of Chicago Law Review and Northwestern University Law Review. He holds degrees from Yale, Harvard and Cambridge, where he studied international relations as a Gates Cambridge Scholar.

We are incredibly fortunate to have such a distinguished scholar leading our Law School into the future, and I am confident his passion, intellect and integrity will help elevate it to new heights.

Please join me in congratulating Professor Clopton on this tremendous achievement and welcoming him as the new dean of the great Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.

Thank you,

Kathleen Hagerty
Provost
First Chicago Professor of Finance

Dear Law School community,

With gratitude to all of you—and to University leadership for their confidence in me—I am honored to serve as your Dean.

This year has offered countless reminders of what makes Northwestern Pritzker Law such a remarkable place. Our students are thriving. Our faculty continues to produce influential scholarship while providing the rigorous, engaged teaching that defines the Northwestern Pritzker Law experience. Our staff play an essential role in the life of the Law School, supporting everything we do with care and dedication. And our inspiring alumni enrich the Law School through their engagement as mentors, adjunct professors, and generous partners. Together, these experiences reflect a common thread that emerged from my many conversations with students, faculty, staff, and alumni—a deep appreciation for the Northwestern Pritzker Law community.

Our mission is clear: to educate and prepare future leaders in the legal profession. Fulfilling this mission requires advanced scholarship, excellent teaching, and the daily work of building a strong community. I am grateful to you all for your many contributions to this mission, and I remain committed to supporting our students, faculty, staff, and alumni in every possible way. I look forward to what we will accomplish together.

Sincerely,
Zach