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Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law
Dean of the School of Law

The Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law seeks nominations and applications for the position of Dean of the law school for a term beginning July 1, 2013.

About the IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law

The IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law is one of two independent law schools within the Indiana University system and is located in downtown Indianapolis, the twelfth largest city in the country and Indiana’s capital. Walking distance from the center of downtown Indianapolis, the law school is just steps away from everything a major urban environment affords: government, business, science, medicine, sports, and the arts.

The IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law is the largest of the four law schools in Indiana, enrolling close to 1,000 students in its day and evening divisions. It is the only law school in Indiana to offer a part-time course of study.

The law school occupies a modern, spacious, technologically-advanced building, Lawrence W. Inlow Hall. The school is located on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, which has an enrollment of more than 30,000 students and is home to most of Indiana University’s professional schools, including the IU School of Medicine.

For more than 100 years the school has enjoyed great success in preparing students for legal careers. Graduates have achieved prominent positions in business, the legal profession, the judiciary and other branches of government. The school’s more than 10,000 alumni are located in every state in the nation and many foreign countries.

The school’s graduates make up more than half the licensed attorneys and 40 percent of the judges in Indiana, including the Chief Justice and a majority of justices serving on the Indiana Supreme Court. They also comprise a substantial number of the state’s political, business, non-profit, and civic leaders, including two of the state’s current gubernatorial candidates. The school’s graduates are CEOs of at least 80 of Indiana’s corporations and non-profits, many of which are among the largest and most important businesses in the state, and can be found at all levels of Indiana government.

The school’s alumni are also leaders on the national and international scene. They include the U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica, a former U.S. Ambassador to Germany, the Chief of the United States Transportation and Security Administration, as well as several members of the federal judiciary, the U.S. Senate, and the House of Representatives. The school counts among its alumni a former Vice President of the United States as well as the current President of the University of Vermont.

In 2010, the school undertook a strategic planning process that assessed its strengths and challenges and produced a blueprint for the future that is both ambitious and exciting. (Details can be found at http://indylaw.indiana.edu/news/StrategicPlan.pdf.) This effort, coupled with a transformational philanthropic gift in 2011 and the resultant re-naming of the school, has set the stage for an exceptional opportunity for the new Dean to lead the school toward becoming one of the top public law schools in the country.

With a faculty of approximately 50 members, the school grants Doctor of Jurisprudence, Master of Laws (five tracks) and Doctor of Juridical Science degrees. The school also offers eight joint degree programs in cooperation with other Indiana University Schools:

JD/MD (Doctor of Medicine) – IU School of Medicine
JD/MBA (Master of Business Administration) – IU Kelley School of Business
JD/MPA (Master of Public Affairs) – IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs
JD/MHA (Master of Health Administration) – IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs
JD/MPH (Master of Public Health) – IU School of Medicine
JD/MLS (Master of Library Science) – IU School of Library and Information Science
JD/MSW (Master of Social Work) – IU School of Social Work
JD/MA (Master of Arts in Philosophy) – IU School of Liberal Arts

A Charter Member of the AALS, the school provides a strong, traditional academic curriculum and has established several Centers and Programs of excellence:

William S. and Christine S. Hall Center for Law and Health
Center for Intellectual Property Law and Innovation
Center for International and Comparative Law
Joint Center for Asian Law Studies
Program in Environmental and Natural Resources Law
Program in International Human Rights Law
Program on Law and State Government
Global Crisis Leadership Forum

The school also offers a full complement of skills training programs, a variety of in-house civil and criminal clinical courses, three well-regarded law reviews (the Indiana Law Review, the Indiana Health Law Review, and the Indiana International and Comparative Law Review), a summer program in Beijing hosted by China’s top law school (Renmin University of China), as well as numerous externships. Additionally, the school enjoys many links with the state judiciary and with the state and local bar associations.

The school’s Ruth Lilly Law Library provides faculty and students with access to all major legal research databases as well as hundreds of other interdisciplinary databases and more than 30,000 electronic books. The library’s collection emphasizes the fundamentals of American law but also includes particularly strong print and digital collections in health law, human rights, and international law along with developing collections in intellectual property and environmental law. The library houses a collection of more than 600,000 print volumes and an extensive collection of microforms. It also holds a 20,000-volume collection of Commonwealth materials along with many U.S. government and United Nations publications. The United States collection includes a comprehensive online collection of federal legislative and Congressional Research Service documents.

Other Facts about IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law

The school fosters student commitment to public service through its Pro Bono Program and law clinics. Since 1998, students have provided 141,331 hours of pro bono legal service to the community. In the past 30 years, 2,179 law students have assisted approximately 4,511 clients through the school’s law clinics.
The school’s Program in International Human Rights Law has facilitated 170 law student intern placements in 50 countries worldwide since the program began in 1997. The program has been granted Special Consultative Status with the United Nations.
Five Justices from the Supreme Court of the United States have spoken at the law school since 2001, including Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. in 2010.
The school’s legal writing program is consistently ranked among the Top 10 in the nation and its health law program is also nationally ranked.
The school was identified among the “Greenest Law Schools” by Pre-Law Magazine in 2010.
The school is on National Jurist Magazine’s Top 60 list of “Best Value Law Schools”.

For more information, explore www.indylaw.indiana.edu.

About Indianapolis

With a metropolitan population of nearly two million, Indianapolis is one of America’s most livable urban cities. Both Forbes and Livability.com rank Indianapolis as one of the best downtowns in the United States, citing attractions including more than 200 retail shops, more than 35 hotels, nearly 300 restaurants and food options, movie theaters, sports venues, museums, art galleries and parks. Further, Indianapolis was listed as #4 on Forbes’ 2012 list of "The Cities with the Happiest Young Professionals." And Money Magazine recently rated two suburbs of Indianapolis—Carmel and Fishers, respectively #1 and #12—on its list of America’s best small cities.

Green spaces abound with over 135 parks in the metro area. The Indianapolis Cultural Trail--a world-class urban bike and pedestrian path connecting neighborhoods, Cultural Districts and entertainment amenities–serves as the downtown hub for the entire central Indiana greenway system.

Commonly referred to as The Amateur Sports Capital of the World, Indianapolis has hosted a number of national amateur sport events and serves as national headquarters for the NCAA, USA Track & Field, USA Diving, USA Gymnastics, and USA Synchronized Swimming. The city also is home to professional sports teams in the NFL, NBA, WNBA, USHL, and Triple A baseball. In 2012 Indianapolis hosted Super Bowl XLVI. Indianapolis is also known as The Racing Capital of the World, hosting two of the largest single-day sporting events in the world: the Indianapolis 500 ® and the Brickyard 400 ®.

The Dean’s Role and Responsibilities

The IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law seeks a new Dean who will build on the law school’s strong foundation and reputation for scholarship and excellence in legal education. The Dean reports to the Chancellor of the IUPUI campus, who also serves as the Executive Vice-President of Indiana University. The Dean is the academic and administrative head of the law school and its principal representative to Indiana University, state and local government, and the community. The Dean is also directly responsible for the law school’s financial management, under Indiana University’s Responsibility Centered Management system.

. The Dean’s primary objective is to provide innovative leadership to the law school (faculty, administrators and students) in all aspects of the law school’s operation, including academic affairs, administration, planning, student recruitment, enrollment management, financial aid, financial management, and institutional advancement. The Dean must possess scholarly, pedagogical, strategic, inspirational and consensus-building skills. The Dean:

Provides leadership on innovative curriculum development and new program initiatives.
Strengthens excellence in scholarship and classroom teaching.
Supports, enhances, and promotes faculty research and productivity.
Works with the faculty to attract and retain promising scholars and teachers of excellence, with particular focus on recruitment of minority candidates.
Works with faculty and university leadership to implement the law school’s Strategic Plan.
Continues to improve the quality of the students entering and graduating from the law school, and the career opportunities available to them.
Focuses on ways to enhance the student experience at the law school.
Efficiently and fairly manages the financial and human resources of the law school through an effective annual operating budget and long-term financial plan.
Develops the financial resources of the law school, especially through fundraising, to relieve the financial burden on students and to enhance scholarship, teaching, and innovative programs.
Fosters and expands the law school’s relationships with alumni, law firms, corporations, local, state and federal judiciaries, leading nonprofit organizations, and the greater Indianapolis and Indiana communities.

Qualifications and Desirable Characteristics

The new Dean should:

Have a strong record of effective, collaborative leadership at a distinguished law school, or in government, the judiciary or legal practice.
Ideally have successful experience as an administrator at a law school or experience in university administration.
Have an understanding and appreciation of fundraising for a law school, university, or nonprofit organization.
Be comfortable networking with alumni, donors, prospective students, and the community at large.
Display enthusiasm for the law school’s future and appreciation of its history.
Exhibit energy, integrity, and good judgment.
Possess leadership skills, including political sensitivity, an effective personal style, and the ability to foster collegiality and engagement.
Show experience in dealing effectively with diversity issues in relation to faculty, staff, and students.
Possess the ability to articulate the vision, goals, and values of the law school to internal and external constituents.
Display the capacity to think strategically, communicate persuasively, and work effectively with the senior leadership of Indiana University.
Eligibility for appointment as a full professor with tenure on the IU Robert H.McKinney School of Law faculty is strongly preferred.

Candidates must have a J.D. or equivalent degree and a proven commitment to legal education, scholarship, community, and public service as well as the imagination and executive skills needed to lead a contemporary law school. The ideal candidate must be committed to the university’s goal of inclusiveness and have a demonstrated history of working effectively with persons of all races, genders, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, religions, and backgrounds.

Applications and Nominations

The Search Committee will be accepting applications, recommendations, and inquiries until the position is filled. The review of applications will begin immediately. The search will be conducted with full confidentiality of all candidate information. The IU Robert H. McKinney School of Law is committed to diversity and welcomes applications and nominations of women and minorities. Salary and benefits are competitive and negotiable. Applications, nominations, and inquiries should be directed to:

Dr. Ilene H. Nagel & Mirah A. Horowitz
Consultants to the Dean Search Committee
Russell Reynolds Associates
iumckinney@russellreynolds.com

Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, in compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, mental or physical handicap, age, gender, or sexual orientation in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This policy covers, but is not limited to, admissions, employment, financial aid, educational services, programs, and activities.

Search Committee

The search committee will be led by retired Indiana Supreme Court Justice Theodore (Ted) R. Boehm.

Law school faculty and staff on the search committee include:

Cynthia M. Adams, ’83, clinical professor of law
Karen E. Bravo, professor of law, John S. Grimes Fellow and Dean’s Fellow
Linda Kelly Hill, M. Dale Palmer Professor of Law and Immigration Clinic director
Antony Page, vice dean & professor of law
Chasity Q. Thompson, ’02, assistant dean, Office of Professional Development
Carlton M. Waterhouse, associate professor of law and Dean’s Fellow

The search committee also includes a McKinney Law student: Nabeela Virjee, J.D. candidate 2013.

Other members of the search committee are:

David Bodenhamer, professor of history and executive director, The Polis Center
David W. Crabb, John B. Hickam Professor of Medicine and chairman of the Department of Medicine, IU School of Medicine
James Gladden, dean, IU School of Physical Education and Tourism Management
Jeff Linder, ’75, IU associate vice president for public affairs and government relations
Hon. Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson, ’83, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
William R. Neale, ’73, partner, Krieg DeVault