Thomas Jefferson School of Law Begins Search for Dean and President

SAN DIEGO, CA, 10/25/16 – Thomas Jefferson School of Law invites applications and nominations for the position of President and Dean of the Law School.

The next President and Dean must possess integrity as well as high academic and personal standards, be energetic and persistent in the pursuit of excellence, and be enthusiastic about the Law School's values and mission. The successful candidate will bring passion, insight, and expertise to advancing the Law School's educational and scholarly missions and to managing and further developing a dynamic and maturing institution of higher education.

Thomas Jefferson School of Law is an independent, fully ABA-approved, AALS member law school located in the heart of San Diego, California. The Law School enrolls more than 500 diverse and engaged law students from across the nation and throughout the world in its J.D., LL.M, J.S.M., and J.S.D. programs. It offers full-time, part-time, day, evening, and online programs, as well as a joint J.D.-M.B.A. program in collaboration with San Diego State University. The dynamic, diverse, and highly productive faculty is characterized by its deep commitment to teaching and scholarship. Since the spring of 2011, the Law School has occupied a new, technologically advanced, eight-story, 177,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility in the East Village area of downtown San Diego.

The Dean is the President of the Law School, reporting directly to the Board of Trustees. The ideal candidate will have significant experience and expertise leading and developing legal academic institutions, overseeing large and sophisticated budgets, managing multiple and complex institutional projects, cultivating and inspiring diverse and dynamic faculty and staff, catalyzing an educational culture conducive to developing excellent law students and law graduates, fundraising from diverse sources, and communicating with accrediting organizations and other important institutions in legal education.

The term of this Dean and President will commence July 1, 2017. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. However, to allow for the most complete consideration, applications should be submitted by November 21, 2016. The Law School strongly encourages applications from women, minorities, and others who may enhance the diversity of the Law School.

Candidates are asked to provide a cover letter discussing their interest in and qualifications for the position along with their curriculum vitae (c.v.). Materials should be sent electronically (Adobe PDF or MS Word format) to Judge Roger T. Benitez, Chair, Dean Search Committee at the secure email address: DeanSearch@tjsl.edu. The c.v. should include the names and contact information of references. Such references, however, will not be contacted without the permission of the candidate. Nominations of candidates for the position are also welcome.

All applications and inquiries will be treated as confidential unless otherwise indicated by the candidate. For more information, please visit www.tjsl.edu/dean-search.

Thomas Jefferson School of Law is an equal opportunity employer, and fosters diversity in its faculty, administration, staff, and student populations.


The mission of Thomas Jefferson School of Law is to provide an outstanding legal education for a nationally-based, diverse student body in a collegial and supportive environment with attention to newly emerging areas of law, particularly those related to technological development, globalization and the quest for social justice. Located in Downtown San Diego, Thomas Jefferson School of Law has evolved into an innovative, cutting-edge law school, devoted to the individual needs and success of its students. More information is available at www.tjsl.edu.


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CONTACT: Thomas Jefferson School of Law Director of Marketing and Communications Edgar Hopida, 619-961-4314 or 619-913-0719, ehopida@tjsl.edu