University of South Dakota Law School Searching for New Dean

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Summary: The dean for the University of South Dakota’s law school is stepping down to rejoin the law school’s faculty.

The University of South Dakota Law School is on the search for a new law school dean. Their current dean, Thomas Geu, has announced that he no longer wants to be the law school’s dean and would like to be a member of the faculty. USD President Jim Abbott agrees that now is a good time for him to step down, according to a report by KELO News.

  

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Abbot explained, “We asked the legislature for $300,000, which we would match to increase programming and make some different things happen. I think this is a perfect time for transition. He said he’d be happy to stay until we hire a new Dean, but he thinks it’s time to make a move and go back to the faculty, and I certainly respect that.”

Abbot feels that with the changes the school has implemented and increased funding to make even more changes, the school should have no problem attracting a top-level Dean. He added, “With every downside, there’s an opportunity. There’s probably some great man or woman out there who wants to be dean of a law school. Certainly with the increase in funding, that makes that difficulty less. I’m confident we’ll find an excellent Dean. We always have.”

One of the changes at the law school includes a scholarship program funded by lawyers across the state. The program, called 15×15 aims to attract and recruit more law students. USD alumni are asked to pay the tuition and fees, which is $15,000, for 15 students.

“I think we’ve got that accomplished for this next year. I think that bodes well for the law school. One of the problems we’ve had is that we’re not nearly as competitive because we don’t have the number of scholarships that other universities have,” Abbot stated.

Geu was named the interim dean in 2011 and formally announced as dean in 2013. He has been with the law school for nearly 30 years.

Do you think the scholarship program is sustainable or is that a large financial expectation from the alumni? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

To learn more about scholarship programs at law schools, read these articles:

• Loyola Law Receives 20 Million Dollars for Scholarships
• Princeton, Indiana University Maurer School of Law Partner to Provide Law Students with Scholarship and Mentoring
• John Marshall School of Law Adds Four New Scholarships

Photo: ksoo.com