FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University Bloomington Provost and Executive Vice President Rahul Shrivastav has appointed a committee to identify dean candidates for the IU Bloomington Maurer School of Law.
Christiana Ochoa, currently executive associate dean at the school, will serve as interim dean starting July 1. Ochoa is the Class of 1950 Herman B Wells Endowed Professor and founding academic director for the IU Mexico Gateway. Austen Parrish, the Maurer dean for more than eight years, announced in April that he is stepping down from the deanship to take on the same position with the University of California, Irvine School of Law.
Shrivastav noted that, under Parrish, the Maurer School has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s leading public law schools. "Austen’s many accomplishments are difficult to summarize," Shrivastav said. "He oversaw completion of a $60 million capital campaign, developed and implemented a strategic plan, launched new clinics and public interest programs, and expanded the school’s interdisciplinary degree programs—some under the shadow of a global pandemic. The Maurer School of Law is as prestigious and successful as it is because of Austen’s leadership," Shrivastav said. "I have complete confidence that Christy’s deep understanding of the school and the future of legal education will seamlessly continue Austen’s legacy of success when she officially begins her work as interim dean."
Shrivastav hopes to name the new dean by Oct. 1.
Founded in 1842, the IU Maurer School of Law is the oldest public law school in the Midwest, and the ninth-oldest law school in the United States. It is ranked 43rd in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, is the highest-ranked public law school in Indiana and is among the top 20 public law schools nationally. The school’s programs in tax law, intellectual property law, legal research and writing, criminal law, international law, and environmental law all rank among the country’s top 35 programs. The Maurer School of Law has a legacy of producing pathbreaking alumni, including the first Japanese American admitted to the bar in the United States, the first African American to serve on any state supreme court, the first woman chief justice of Wisconsin, and the first woman chief justice of Indiana. The school’s 12,000-strong alumni base also includes notable graduates such as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sherman Minton, U.S. Representative Lee H. Hamilton, and U.S. Senator Birch Bayh, among others.
Shrivastav said the law school will be well-served by its deep tradition of collegial discussion and decision-making during this process. He has asked members of the search committee to reach out to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the judiciary on recommendations for the position, with careful consideration to the primary needs of the school; areas of strength and potential growth; the virtues of continuity in leadership vs. a fresh perspective; and the necessary characteristics of a dean who is suited to the current moment in legal education.
The search committee is chaired by Kurt Zorn, IU Bloomington Acting Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. It includes representatives of faculty, staff, and students at IU Bloomington. In addition to Zorn as Chair, the search committee includes:
- Gregory A. Castanias: Partner, Jones Day, Washington, DC; Maurer School Board of Visitors and Alumnus
- Susan David deMaine: Maurer School Director of Jerome Hall Law Library and Senior Lecturer
- Jessica M. Eaglin: Maurer School Professor of Law and Harry T. Ice Faculty Fellow
- Samantha Espada: Maurer School J.D. Candidate and President, Latinx Law Student Association
- Laura Fonseca: Maurer School Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Sophia Goodman: Maurer School Director, Legal Research and Writing Program and Senior Lecturer in Law
- Norman J. Hedges: Maurer School Clinical Professor of Law and Director Intellectual Property Legal Clinic
- Asaf Lubin: Maurer School Associate Professor of Law and Fellow at IU Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research
- Steve Sanders: Maurer School Professor of Law and Adjunct Professor of Political Science
- Justice Geoffrey G. Slaughter: Indiana Supreme Court
- Susan H. Williams: Maurer School Walter W. Foskett Professor of Law and Director, Center for Constitutional Democracy
Matt Waller, Senior Executive Advisor to the Provost, will serve as an ex officio, non-voting member of the committee. Further search support will be provided by Brandi Host of the Office of the Provost.