UC Davis Law Reappoints Dean for Third Term

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Summary: The University of California – Davis School of Law has elected their dean to a third term.

UC Davis School of Law announced they have appointed their dean to a third term, making him he longest-serving dean at the university. Kevin R. Johnson has been dean of the law school since 2008. He will begin the third five-year term on July 1.

  

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Provost and executive vice chancellor Ralph J. Hexter said, “[His] deep knowledge of the many facets of law and legal education, his vision, his energy and his passionate devotion to advancing excellence at UC Davis will continue to be invaluable assets in the years ahead.”

Hexter continued, “Under Kevin’s leadership, and building upon the excellence of the faculty and students of King Hall, the stature of the law school and UC Davis have been greatly enhanced.” He noted his commitment to diversity, according to the announcement.

Some of Johnson’s achievements so far included turning King Hall into the leading American law school for majority-minority faculty. The law school is also ranked in the top 10 for its diversity. According to U.S. News & World Report, the law school is the only one in the top 40 in overall rankings to reach the top 10 in diversity. Their King Hall Outreach Program and First Generation Advocates initiative has helped those from underrepresented communities access higher education.

Johnson said, “It is a privilege and an honor to serve as dean of a law school named after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a majority-minority faculty committed to excellence and diversity, and a special community of students, staff, alums, faculty and friends. I thank that community, as well as Chancellor May and Provost Hexter, for the opportunity.”

The law school’s faculty are also been active the in the industry with their papers appearing in publications like the Yale Law Journal, NYU Law Review, Columbia Law Review and Stanford Law Review.

Johnson also helped establish the Aoki Center for Critical Race and Nation Studies, the California International Law Center, the California Environmental Law and Policy Center, the Tribal Justice Project, and the Water Justice Clinic.

Johnson is highly recognized for his work in immigration law and policy, civil rights, and refugee law. Media outlets often reach out to him for his insight and feedback on trending immigration law issues. He also sets himself apart from many other deans but blogging. He has the Dean’s blog where he posts about daily life at King Hall and the events he attends off campus. He prides himself on rarely missing lectures given by law faculty, alumni, visiting scholars, and students.

He joined UC Davis Law as a faculty member in 1989 starting out at a professor of Chicana/o Studies. He became the associate dean for academic affairs in 1998. He earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School, serving as editor of the Harvard Law Review. He received his B.A. in economics from UC Berkeley. He clerked for Honorable Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and then as an attorney with Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe.

Do you think Johnson will explore a fourth term? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

To learn more about UC Davis, read these articles:

• UC Davis Law School Not Cutting Staff or Enrollment
• Law Students from UC Davis School of Law File Application for Law License of Deceased Chinese Lawyer

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