Lat: An Exit Interview With Virginia Law School Dean Risa Goluboff

David Lat, An Exit Interview With A Top Law School’s Dean: Risa Goluboff:

Would you want to be a law school dean in the year 2024? The once-coveted post seems less fun, given the tension and polarization on university campuses these days, as well as more challenging than ever. One misstep or missed goal—a free-speech controversy gone viral, a fundraising target unmet, a double-digit drop in your school’s U.S. News ranking—and you could be out of a job.

Surviving to the end of one’s term as dean is already an accomplishment. Concluding a deanship with multiple achievements unlocked is even more impressive.

It’s difficult, but not impossible—as reflected in the record of Dean Risa Goluboff (pronounced REE-suh GOL-u-buff, in case you’re wondering). When her eight-year term as dean of the University of Virginia School of Law ends on June 30, she can take pride in around three dozen new faculty hires, completion of a $400 million capital campaign (more than a year ahead of schedule), and a #4 ranking in U.S. News—the highest in the history of the school.

What are some of the secrets of Dean Goluboff’s success? What does she view as the two biggest challenges facing American law schools today? And what is her excellent advice… about how to respond to advice?

Learn all this and more by listening to our podcast conversation. Thanks to Dean Goluboff for joining me, and congratulations to her on such a successful deanship. ...

Earlier this month, I paid a visit to UVA Law School to give a talk. While I was there, I also attended a talk—a presentation about textualism by Justice Jay Mitchell, author of the Alabama Supreme Court’s controversial IVF-related ruling. As I expected, Justice Mitchell’s event was protested. But as I wrote in my newsletter, the UVA protesters were the most polite protesters I’ve ever seen, and the event wasn’t disrupted in the least. 

Also this month, I wrote about the 2024 U.S. News law school rankings—in which UVA Law reached what I believe to be an all-time high ranking of #4. Things have been going very well at the law school, on many fronts—not just free speech, but fundraising and faculty hiring—and much of the credit belongs to Dean Risa Goluboff.