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DeanSchool of LawOmaha, NebraskaCreighton University, a private, coeducational, Catholic, Jesuit university located in Omaha, Nebraska,seeks a Dean of the School of Law with intellectual vision, energy, and the ability to inspire the School ofLaw community to new levels of excellence. Creighton’s School of Law has been educating aspiringattorneys in the theory, practice and ethics of lawyering for more than 100 years. Consistent with itsmission, the School of Law’s motto is “educating for service and justice,” and its goal is to produceattorneys who not only meticulously care for their clients’ needs, but also recognize their own overarchingduty to the profession and to society. Consistent with its mission, the School of Law provides studentswith intellectual challenge, academic rigor, and an opportunity to develop moral values for lifelongservice in the law. This is an outstanding opportunity for a highly collaborative, forward-looking,enthusiastic leader to inspire a diverse community of faculty, staff, students, and alumni, and to guide theSchool as it continues to seek excellence as a premier law school with a focus on educating lawyersprepared to enter an increasingly complex, dynamic and global legal landscape.Founded in 1878, Creighton University serves more than 8,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professionalstudents, who pursue degrees in more than 50 majors and 30 graduate and professional programs in nineschools and colleges. In addition to the School of Law, Creighton’s academic units include the College ofArts and Sciences, the Heider College of Business, the Graduate School, the College of ProfessionalStudies, the College of Nursing and the Schools of Dentistry, Medicine, and Pharmacy and HealthProfessions. Creighton is a top-ranked university and one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in theUnited States. Grounded in the more than 450-year-old Jesuit tradition and guided by its Catholic identityof academic excellence and service to others, it is one of the most complex institutions of its size. It isconsistently ranked number one among regional universities in the Midwest and is moving into a new eraof growth and prominence, pioneering interdisciplinary approaches to scholarship, promoting excellencein teaching, research and service, and working toward a fully integrated experience embracing academicsand student life.The next Dean of the School of Law will join the University at a time of challenge and tremendousopportunity. The Dean will serve as a key member of the university leadership team and will lead a schoolthat currently enrolls 296 students, drawn from 29 states and 146 undergraduate institutions, with thisyear’s starting class of 115 representing 25 states. In addition to a strong legal curriculum and dedicatedfaculty of 28 full-time professors and 42 adjunct professors, the School of Law runs clinics and offers aninternational exchange program as well as joint-degree programs and other opportunities.Isaacson, Miller
Search for the Dean of the School of LawCreighton UniversityThe Dean will play a crucial role in defining the next era of the School of Law and addressing a numberof key strategic and operational priorities. To be successful in this role, the Dean will: Articulate a forward-looking vision that builds upon and celebrates the School’s history, identity,and potential;Advocate for the School and collaborate within the University;Foster transparent communication channels with faculty, students, staff, and alumni to enhance asense of community;Continue to recruit, retain, train, and place high-quality students;Further engage with the external community and elevate the School’s national prominence.A complete list of the desired qualifications and characteristics of the Dean can be found at the conclusionof this document, which was prepared with the assistance of Isaacson, Miller, a national executive searchfirm, to provide background information and detail the key opportunities and challenges related to theposition. All confidential applications, inquiries and nominations should be directed to the parties listed atthe conclusion of this document.About Creighton UniversityFrom its beginning as Creighton College on September 2, 1878, when five Jesuits, two lay teachers, and120 students began classes, Creighton has continued to grow in both size and impact. It has ascended tobecome one of the top Catholic, Jesuit universities in the nation and one of the most comprehensiveinstitutions of its size.Creighton provides its students with an atmosphere that challenges them academically and professionally,and supports and inspires them individually. Nationally recognized for providing a balanced educationalexperience, the University offers rigorous degree programs in a broad range of disciplines that emphasizeeducating the whole person: intellectually, socially and spiritually. As stated in a work of the presidents ofthe Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, Creighton seeks to “continue the Ignatian tradition of‘forming men and women for others’” and help students “engage the world through a careful analysis ofcontext, in dialogue with experience evaluated through reflection, for the sake of action, and withopenness, always, to evaluation.”1Research, teaching and service are interwoven at Creighton. With an undergraduate student-to-facultyratio of 11-to-1, Creighton students engage in a wide variety of research, scholarly and creative projectsand receive such prestigious awards as the Fulbright and Goldwater scholarships, and James MadisonFoundation and National Science Foundation fellowships, among others. Creighton has a long and richhistory of groundbreaking research, and operates an array of centers and institutes. Research awards toCreighton University for the 2017 academic year totaled nearly 21.6 million. Creighton UniversitySchool of Medicine is home to top-ranked programs in cardiovascular services and digestive services, andis internationally recognized for research, prevention and treatment of hereditary cancers, osteoporosis,diabetes, obesity and other diseases. Creighton University’s impact on Nebraska’s economy in 2017 was 847.2 million.The academic profile of the 2018 freshman class places Creighton among the Top 6 private universities inthe Midwest with over 4,000 undergraduates. Other universities on that list include Notre Dame,Northwestern, Washington University in St. Louis, and the University of Chicago. Of the fall 20181Characteristics of Jesuit Universities: Seven Characteristics Appropriate to Jesuit Institutions of Higher Education, A Work ofthe Presidents of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.Isaacson, MillerPage 2 of 9
Search for the Dean of the School of LawCreighton Universityfreshman class, 37 percent ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class, represented a median 27ACT or comparable SAT score, and the median high school GPA was 3.91. Creighton is achievingsuccess in expanding both racial and socio-economic diversity. For the 2018 academic year, 14 percent ofCreighton’s freshman class are first-generation college students, and 26 percent are students of color. The2013 move to the BIG EAST athletic conference, in addition to its strong academic rankings and regionaland national branding efforts, have contributed to dramatically increasing Creighton’s visibility andreputation.The University continuously pushes itself to be broadly recognized for providing a distinctive educationthat prepares students as ethical and compassionate leaders who advocate for justice. Creighton is in themidst of a University-wide strategic-planning effort that has identified areas for growth and synergies,including opportunities across the University to bridge its health sciences programs and other schools, andis formulating the operating framework for its future in a highly competitive higher-education market. TheUniversity is pursuing initiatives in the areas of institutional mission, academic excellence and programdevelopment, enrollment growth, talent development and management, marketing and communications,philanthropic support and operational efficiencies.Creighton’s strategic vision has been driven by its academic leadership team, led by the Rev. Daniel S.Hendrickson, SJ, PhD, an alumnus of Marquette University and Columbia University and the 25thpresident of Creighton, and Thomas F. Murray, PhD, who was appointed the University’s second provostin May 2017. With their leadership and guidance, the University is moving into a new era of growth,prominence and distinction by sustaining the values of the Catholic, Jesuit tradition, pioneeringinterdisciplinary approaches to scholarship, promoting excellence in teaching, research and service, andworking toward a fully integrated experience embracing academics and student life.One of the most exciting projects that the University has undertaken in recent years is the expansion of itspresence in Phoenix, Arizona. Creighton is the only Catholic university offering post-secondary educationin Arizona. For a decade, the Medical School has operated in Phoenix and now the University recentlyrevealed the plans for a nearly 100 million health sciences campus in midtown Phoenix that will house afour-year medical school, nursing school, occupational and physical therapy schools, pharmacy school,physician assistant school and emergency medical services program. In September 2018, the Universityalso celebrated the opening of a new, state-of-the-art, 200,000-square-foot dental school facility that willbetter position Creighton to recruit talented faculty, introduce innovative technology, enhance its dentalclinic effectiveness, allow the service of additional patients – especially the community’s underserved –and enhance the school’s research core of effectiveness.Creighton University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). In August 2017, theUniversity received affirmation of its institutional accreditation status through 2026-2027 and is on HLC’sopen pathway. Creighton University School of Law had its last accreditation site visit in 2016 andreceived reaffirmation of accreditation through 2023-2024. The School of Law is approved by the Councilof the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar of the American Bar Association.For more about the traditions and distinguishing features of Creighton University, see Appendix I andwww.creighton.edu.About Creighton School of LawThe School of Law was founded in 1904 and continues to be guided by Catholic, Jesuit values in supportof the Creighton University mission. It enrolls about 296 students taught by 28 full-time professors whoare experts and published authors in their respective fields, working in concert with 42 adjunct and partIsaacson, MillerPage 3 of 9
Search for the Dean of the School of LawCreighton Universitytime faculty members. The School of Law draws its students from all across the U.S. and around theworld. Creighton Law students graduate practice-ready and move into judicial clerkships and jobs at toplaw firms, corporations, and governmental and non-governmental entities in Omaha, Chicago, Denver,Houston, Kansas City and beyond.Creighton is one of 14 Jesuit, Catholic law schools in the U.S. Situated primarily in urban centers, theseschools were traditionally among the first to provide women and minorities access to high-quality legaleducation. With a reputation for rigorous study, Jesuit law schools value the pursuit of academicexcellence and preparation for public service. Like all Jesuit schools, Creighton adheres to the tradition ofcura personalis, Latin for care for the individual person. In practice, professors spend more time withstudents, counseling them, cajoling them, and challenging them to go further than they think they can.Faculty members have an open-door policy rather than prescribed office hours. Students are invited tocome visit, ask questions, test theories or talk. This is achievable because Creighton chooses to be a small,highly interactive law school where students are not numbers, but people.The School of Law prides itself on its abilty to create practice-ready lawyers. For the Creighton School ofLaw class of 2016, 86.6 percent were employed, in graduate school or not seeking employment ninemonths following graduation (with 91 percent of those employed working in bar-required/preferredpositions). Of these graduates, 51 percent were employed in Nebraska. Of Creighton’s 2018 February andJuly graduating classes, 78 percent passed the bar exam on their first try. This represents an increase in thebar passage rate over 2017 and the School is working hard to return to rates closer to 90 percent which isthe passage rate for Creighton graduates in 2010.Creighton’s School of Law produces a large percentage of attorneys who practice in the State of Nebraskaas the School of Law is only one of two in the state. Thus, alumni of the School are highly engaged withthe future of the School and how its graduates contribute to the future of the State. It also provides a pointof tension as the faculty seeks to continue to produce the types of lawyers for jobs in Nebraska’s corporateand government communities while also reconciling interests of some faculty members and students forprograms and preparation of lawyers that serve other types of organizations. The creation of programs andcourses in areas such as health law and poverty law, as well as the Immigration Clinic, support theseinterests. Additionally, some students would like to see flexibility in the curriculum that would allow formore internships and externships to give students even more exposure to what it means to practice lawand to be prepared once they hit the workforce.Program OfferingsThe School of Law provides a flexible program, with a variety of unique opportunities for studentlearning. It offers students the flexibility of completing the Juris Doctor degree in two years, in theAccelerated J.D. program; in three years, on the traditional J.D. program; or in more than three years, on apart-time basis. The School of Law has an extensive trial practice program and a developing healthcarelaw program. Also, in connection with local nonprofit and government offices, the School of Law offersdiverse externship opportunities. Every other year, students have had the opportunity to take a seminartaught by U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas and Creighton’s Michael Fenner, theJames L. Koley Professor of Constitutional Law. In addition to coursework, the School of Law regularlyhosts lectures by internationally renowned speakers. 2 The Milton R. Abrahams Legal Clinic and the2Recent presenters included U.S. Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito; Judges DragoljubPopovic (European Court of Human Rights) and Michael J. Davis (U.S. Intelligence Surveillance Court); professors Thomas D.Morgan (George Washington University), John Paul Lederach (University of Notre Dame), Andrew Morriss (University ofIllinois), Charles Ogletree (Harvard University), Geoffrey Stone (University of Chicago), Richard De Mulder (ErasmusIsaacson, MillerPage 4 of 9
Search for the Dean of the School of LawCreighton UniversityCommunity Economic Development (CED) Clinic provide valuable community service to low-incomepersons and give students a hands-on learning environment. The Creighton Service and Justice Fundsupports law school programs that help law students build a foundation of moral values for lifelongservice and develops them as whole persons through discernment, community service, and outreach tothose in need. These programs include the Institute for Latin American Concern (ILAC), the legal clinicsand the Kutak Loan Repayment Assistance Program. Additionally, the School of Law has an exchangeprogram with Universidad Pontifica Comillas, a Jesuit university in Madrid, Spain. The School of Lawalso has a summer program in Germany and the Netherlands focused on international criminal law.Government Organization and Leadership ProgramThe School of Law has recently created a joint-degree Government Organization and Leadership (GOAL)program geared to the growing needs of government for highly qualified lawyers. In just three years,Creighton law students can earn both a Juris Doctor and a Master of Science in Government andLeadership. A central feature of the program is a Washington, D.C.-based semester that includes a fulltime federal government externship. In addition, the School offers a joint JD/MBA degree in partnershipwith Creighton’s Heider College of Business and a joint JD/MS in negotiation and conflict resolution inpartnership with its Graduate School.Immigration Law ClinicConsistent with the Jesuit Order’s call to action, the Creighton Immigrant and Refugee Clinic opened itsdoors in the fall of 2017. Operated in collaboration with the Immigrant Legal Center, the clinic allows lawstudents to represent clients, under attorney supervision, who are seeking legal assistance with theirimmigration or refugee status under U.S. federal law. Not only does this unique opportunity cement theSchool of Law’s already strong relationship with the local community and create a new, dynamicpartnership, but it also develops students’ essential lawyering skills, including case management, clientcounseling, advocacy and drafting.Students work through issues such as requests for asylum, special immigrant juvenile status, workauthorizations, naturalizations and/or appellate advocacy on a wide range of immigration-related issues.Moreover, there may be unique opportunities for collaboration between Creighton’s law clinics in casessuch as those involving special immigrant juvenile status, where state court orders of guardianship orcustody are required.Heaney Family Service and Justice Law ProgramCreighton expanded its curriculum in spring 2017 by adding a poverty law survey course and a civil lawpoverty externship. The course, made possible by a gift from the Heaney Family Fund, offers two credithours as an upper-level elective. The poverty law survey course will enroll 10 students in the spring 2018semester. Students enrolled in the course are awarded a scholarship to cover half of its cost. In addition tothe poverty law survey course, the program also sponsors financial aid support for students participatingin externships with nonprofit organizations like Nebraska Legal Aid. A future goal of this program is toencourage all Creighton law students to render pro bono legal services to people of limited means.University, the Netherlands); as well as Theodore Shaw (president of NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund) and KennethRoth (executive director of Human Rights Watch)Isaacson, MillerPage 5 of 9
Search for the Dean of the School of LawCreighton UniversityHealth Law ConcentrationLaw students demonstrating their readiness to practice in the complex world of health law can earn aconcentration in health law in tandem with their JD. Health lawyers work in many settings and mayrepresent individual providers, patients and large organizations, both corporate and governmental.Health law is an umbrella term to describe the federal, state and local laws and regulations that apply to allaspects of the health care industry-from small health care provider practices to multi-state health systems,and from pharmaceutical and device companies to insurance companies and public health agencies. Thelaws governing health care operations and individual patients are increasingly complex. Specialized legaltraining is critical to effective advocacy.Role of the Dean of the School of LawReporting to the Provost, the Dean is a member of Creighton University’s Dean’s Council and overseesall functions within the School of Law. The Dean will work within the School and the broader Universityto provide academic vision and functional leadership to fulfill the goals of Creighton School of Law andcontribute to the mission of Creighton University. The Dean will oversee a budget of 11 million, and issupported by associate deans for academic affairs, student services, administration and finance, andinternational programs and faculty research, as well as other key administrators who assist with theeffective operations of the School, all in support of the commitment to having an excellent law school atCreighton University.Key Opportunities and Challenges for the Dean of the School of LawIn order to ensure the continued success and forward momentum of the School, the Dean of the School ofLaw will be expected to address the following key opportunities and challenges:Articulate a forward-looking shared vision that builds upon and celebrates the School’s history, identityand potentialBoth the Creighton School of Law and legal education nationally are at an inflection point. At a timewhen the purpose and value of a legal education have been called into question, developing andbroadcasting a distinct and compelling vision is paramount. The incoming Dean will work closely withfaculty, staff, students, alumni, and University administration to define and articulate an innovative visionthat showcases the School’s existing and yet to be realized strengths and potential. This vision will betterdefine the School’s market position and capitalize on the School’s recent responses to the changinglandscape of legal education nationally. The Dean will contribute to and implement the School’s strategicplan to identify and develop new programs to address areas of differentiation, such as potential certificateprograms, the alternate dispute resolution institute, and clinics that align with the University’s strengths inservice, healthcare, and Omaha’s central business and technology communities. Achieving a unifiedvision will require extraordinary deft and an ability to examine and discuss divergent viewponts and thereasoning behind them and then make decisions that are in the best interest of the School. This vision —and the resulting programs, curricula, and initiatives—will celebrate the School of Law’s rich history,recognize and capitalize on its future potential, reinforce its commitment to graduating practice-readylawyers, celebrate and embody Jesuit values, and set a path for greater national prominence. Recruitmentof talented faculty, as a large number of faculty members look toward retirement within the foreseeablefuture, can enhance and support the direction of the school.Isaacson, MillerPage 6 of 9
Search for the Dean of the School of LawCreighton UniversityAdvocate for the School and collaborate within the UniversityUnder the leadership of President Father Daniel S. Hendrickson, S.J. and Provost Thomas F. Murray, theuniversity has a strategic vision to more closely unite and align Creighton’s nine schools and colleges andcreate a tightly integrated learning environment for students, including those in the professional schools.The Dean will be a strong advocate for the School of Law as well as an innovative and dedicatedsupporter of the University’s mission and goals. In order to strike this important balance, the Dean willwork closely with university leadership to articulate the need and advantages for programming andactivities specific to the School of Law while serving as a valued collaborator and contributor on theuniversity leadership team. The Dean will look for opportunities to work across the University, andperhaps with the new campus in Phoenix, to develop interdisciplinary partnerships, like the new HealthLaw concentration that can benefit both the School and the University. The Dean will also work closelywith the Senior Vice President for Operations and the Provost to better understand and communicate theuniversity’s budgeting model and flow of funds to and between units.Foster transparent communication channels with faculty, students, staff, and alumni to enhance asense of communityThe Dean will provide effective leadership and management within the School of Law and between theSchool and the University and with external stakeholders including alumni and donors. The Dean willwork with all of the School’s constituents to build a culture of trust, transparency, empowerment,excellence, and inclusivity. By developing methods for and prioritizing clear communication and opendialogue, the Dean will help strengthen the distinctive sense of community within the School and makesure that it extends to all. Developing trust and support among the faculty, staff, and students will enablethe Dean to communicate openly with these groups and generate positive support for progression of theSchool’s vision. The Dean will serve as a great convener, bringing together faculty, staff, and students andengaging them in conversations about the School’s progression and the opportunities and challenges itfaces. The Dean will address conflict and take steps to ensure that all voices are heard and considered indecision-making.Continue to recruit, retain, train, and place high-quality studentsThe incoming Dean will be expected to share the faculty and staff’s commitment to welcoming,educating, and supporting students. While the School of Law has recently seen increases in its bar passageand placement rates, and has made remarkable progress in increasing gender diversity in its incomingclass, there is still tremendous unrealized potential. The Dean will serve as an effective and compellingspokesperson for a diverse and inclusive community focused on academic excellence, student success,and the education of law professionals. In particular, the Dean will strive to ensure the steadyimprovement in the quality of the students admitted; an enhanced commitment from each faculty memberand staff to prepare students to excel in the legal profession; that initiatives are in place for continuousimprovement in graduates’ bar examination passage rates; and that efforts are undertaken to increase theprofessional placement of graduates within six months of their graduation as well as their opportunities tocontribute to the legal profession throughout their careers. To achieve each of these goals, the Dean willallocate scholarship opportunities for students to enhance the quality and increase the diversity of thestudent body and support faculty in their teaching mission to provide excellent outcomes for students. TheDean will work with the Career Development Office and alumni to identify new opportunities for studentsto engage in the community, offering students the chance to represent themselves and the School, andhelping them to graduate with practical knowledge of the law and while being prepared for leadershippositions. The Dean will lead in designing, implementing, and supporting new systems, processes, andmodels that will enhance already strong recruitment, retention, and placement support and services, thusIsaacson, MillerPage 7 of 9
Search for the Dean of the School of LawCreighton Universitycontributing to the overall educational experience at Creighton. The Dean will also work closely withfaculty, staff, and student leadership to ensure that student needs are fully considered in vision making,decision making and planning.Further engage with the external community and elevate the School’s national prominenceWhile Creighton is well known in the local legal community and the School of Law has a uniquerelationship with the Nebraska State Bar Association, its educational quality, faculty scholarship, and thestature of its alumni are not as well-known nationally as they deserve. The Dean must leverage faculty,staff, the law advisory board, and the school’s active and loyal alumni body, as well as the resources ofthe university, to increase the visibility of the school beyond Omaha and the region. The Dean will alsoseek opportunities to capture the opportunities that may be afforded by the University’s affiliation withthe BIG EAST conference. The Dean will partner with alumni and other supporters of the CreightonSchool of Law to develop and enhance partnerships with institutions and organizations. Theserelationships will raise the profile of the school and provide direct benefits to all members of the Schoolof Law community. A substantial part of the Dean’s external work will include the cultivation of donorsand other sources of philanthropy toward scholarships and other priority areas in support of the clearlyarticulated vision to build the school in each of the above listed areas.Qualifications and CharacteristicsCreighton seeks a Dean of the School of Law with intellectual vision, energy, professionalism and theability to inspire the School of Law community to new levels of excellence. The Dean does not have to bea Catholic,but should have a strong understanding of how Jesuit values can weave into and enhance legaleducation in the 21st century. While no single candidate will have all of the ideal qualifications, candidatesshould possess many of the following qualifications and characteristics: Excellent vision for realistic and achievable opportunities with dynamic leadership abilities that willfacilitate achieving the visions;Strategic thinker, able to see the big picture, without losing sight of the fundamental steps necessaryto accomplish the vision intended;A commitment to the vision demonstrated by time and effort strategically allocated;Strong analytical skills, able to dissect issues to their core while displaying creative problem-solvingability;Understanding of, commitment to, and ability to promote the Jesuit mission of the University and theSchool of Law to care for the individual (Cura Personalis) in the context of students, faculty, staff andthe broader community;An established record of university teaching, scholarship, and distinguished university, professional,and community/public service sufficient to merit appointment as full professor of law with tenure(This qualification applies onl
Creighton University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). In August 2017, the University received affirmation of its institutional accreditation status through 2026-2027 and is on HLC's open pathway. Creighton University School of Law had its last accreditation site visit in 2016 and
