From: David Miller, Interim Provost
It is a pleasure to announce the appointment of Jennifer Rosato Perea as dean for the College of Law, effective July 1.
Throughout her 25 years in higher education, which includes 11 years as a law school administrator, Jennifer has been an active voice in the national dialogue about legal education. She currently serves as the dean of the Northern Illinois University College of Law, a post she has held since 2009, and served as the acting dean of the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law during its first year of operation in 2006.
DePaul is gaining a dynamic and innovative law school administrator who is highly respected by her peers. An accomplished scholar in family law, bioethics and civil procedure, she brings extensive administrative experience and a deep understanding of the current challenges faced by law schools and the legal profession.
Jennifer's legal career began with a passion for working with abused children. She felt she could make the biggest difference by becoming a lawyer. She clerked for the Honorable Thomas N. O'Neill Jr. of the United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania before becoming an associate with Hangley, Connolly, Epstein, Chicco, Foxman & Ewing in Philadelphia. Today, Jennifer is a sought-after public speaker and has published extensively on diverse legal issues that affect children and families. She regularly receives invitations to present before multiple national organizations, including the Association of American Law Schools and the American Bar Association.
In addition to her legal scholarship and practice, Jennifer was associate dean of students at two universities. She spent 14 years on the faculty at Brooklyn Law School, and in her later years was a co-director of the Center for Health, Science and Public Policy and associate dean of students. She also served as associate dean of students at the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law from 2007 to 2009. She has held teaching positions at the University of Pennsylvania, New York University and Villanova University.
As one of a small number of Latina law school deans in the country and the first in her family to attend college, Jennifer strives to enhance diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. She presents extensively on implicit bias and its effects on diversity and inclusion. In recognition of her efforts, she received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Illinois Secretary of State, the Vanguard Award from the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois, and the National Latino Law Students Association Leadership Award in Education and Advocacy.
Under her leadership at Northern Illinois University, the law school earned national recognition for diversity, value and public service. Jennifer doubled opportunities for experiential learning, including launching a clinic in health advocacy and dramatically expanding student externship opportunities, especially in Chicago. She led the development of a mentoring program for first-year students, pairing almost the entire class with alumni and other lawyers, and initiated a first-year professionalism program required for graduation. She also collaborated with areas across the university to create accelerated degree programs, allowing students to earn a bachelor's and law degree in six years or less.
Jennifer earned her bachelor's from Cornell University and her law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She was the editor-in-chief of the University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Business Law and won the Edwin R. Keedy Moot Court Competition. She is a member of the Association of American Law Schools Membership Review Committee and the Illinois State Bar Association Task Force on Legal Education and Student Debt. She formerly served as chair of the Association of American Law Schools New Law Teachers Conference.
In speaking with Jennifer, she expressed how DePaul's long history with public interest law and commitment to social justice drew her to the university. She looks forward to working with DePaul's distinguished faculty, dedicated staff and exemplary students to contribute to the impressive work that is taking place at the college and university.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Trustee Jack Greenberg and the search committee for the time and efforts they dedicated to finding a new dean. I also would like to thank Bruce Ottley for serving as the interim dean for the College of Law since June 2014. He will return to his regular position as a professor in the college, and I am grateful for his exceptional hard work and dedication to DePaul. Finally, I would like to thank the many faculty and staff who took time to send their insightful comments on the various candidates. We found them extremely helpful.
We look forward to welcoming Jennifer to DePaul.
Source: Newsline Online, March 25, 2015
