Courtesy / University of Maine School of Law
The University of Maine School of Law building in Portland.
July 22, 2019
Maine Law holds off on dean search
Courtesy / University of Southern Maine
Dmitry Bam became interim dean of the University of Maine School of Law on July 1.
The University of Maine School of Law is holding off on a search for a new dean until after a decision is made on the law school's future direction, a University of Maine System spokesman told Mainebiz.
Dmitry Bam, previously associate dean, was named interim dean in February after Dean Danielle Conway resigned from her post in Portland to become dean of Penn State's Dickinson Law.
Bam assumed his new role on July 1 and will stay in that position until the University of Maine System Board of Trustees weighs in on a strategy paper published last week. The report was penned by a committee tasked with crafting a roadmap for Maine's only law school.
The committee, co-chaired by Summit Utilities Inc. CEO Kurt Adams and Maine Law Professor Deirdre M. Smith, makes several recommendations for bringing Maine Law up to 21st-century standards.
Suggestions include expanding technology and introducing a rural semester-in-practice to build on a pilot program launched by Conway, as well as a cross-disciplinary curriculum that makes use of expertise of law school and other UMaine faculty.
Enrollment was also addressed in the report, which gives credit to Maine Law for "holding its own" during an enrollment crisis that began in 2013.
After reviewing the report, UMS Board trustee Lisa Marchese Eames, Chancellor Dannel P. Mallloy and Vice Chancellor Ryan Low will report back to the September board meeting with recommendations on the next steps.
A UMaine System spokesman told Mainebiz via email on Friday that the law school has not yet launched a search for Conway's replacement, adding: "Determinations on the leadership needs and timing of a search will be made soon as part of the board's review of the recommendations."
He also said that that Maine Law expects an incoming class of about 90, a 10% increase over last year. The fall term begins on Tuesday, Sept. 3.
Most Recent
Most Recent
Related Content
Anonymous
July 22, 2019
Maine has no shortage of attorneys (except in low-density rural areas which an in-state law school won't address anyway). Abolish the law school and U Maine's football program and either use the savings to improve U Maine, or start an in-state med school.
1 Comments