IU Maurer close to naming new dean

Fourteen months after formally beginning a dean search, the Indiana University Maurer School of Law could be welcoming a new dean before the end of November.

An unranked list of recommended candidates for the dean’s post has been submitted by the search committee to IU Provost and former IU Maurer dean Lauren Robel. The provost will select the next law school dean.

“I feel very upbeat and am looking forward to seeing what happens,” said John Applegate, search committee chair and executive vice president for University Regional Affairs, Planning and Policy.

Although the timing depends on the provost, Applegate expects a new dean could be named in a couple of weeks.

Applegate led the second search committee that was convened in June after the first search committee, named in August of 2012, concluded its work without a new dean being named. The university did not disclose if the first committee had interviewed any candidates or made any recommendations, but Applegate attributed the extension of the search to needing extra time to find the right individual to lead the school.

The second committee included Maurer faculty members along with alumni and members of the bench and bar. Applegate praised his committee, calling them “wonderful” and “a great group of people.”  

Applegate acknowledged the next Maurer dean will be taking the helm at a time of real change in legal education. He said maneuvering the shifting landscape of what students must be taught as well as helping students with their career development have got to be the main focus of the next dean.

However, Applegate called the Maurer deanship a “plum job” because the law school is highly ranked, and it not only is connected with a university of national reputation but also gets strong support from the university.

Maurer has been led by interim Dean Hannah Buxbaum since December 2011 when Robel took over the provost duties. Robel was dean of the law school from 2003 until she was named interim university provost. She was officially appointed as provost in June 2012.

“Everybody would agree that Hannah Buxbaum has been a wonderful interim dean,” Applegate said. “We’re huge fans.”