Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) seeks a collaborative, results driven, and effective leader in legal education to serve as the next Dean of the College of Law. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong record of academic leadership, team development, organizational growth, and advancing innovation. Equally important, the next Dean must lead with a student-first philosophy, prioritizing student learning, wellbeing, preparedness, and opportunity at the heart of every initiative. The Dean must be prepared to work closely with faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners to further strengthen the College’s role as a leader in legal education and service.

About the College of Law

Founded in 1949, re-established in 2002 and fully accredited in 2009 and again in 2014 by the American Bar Association, the College of Law’s programs for full-time day and part-time evening students combine a rigorous traditional curriculum with practical experience, public service, and career preparedness.

Located in Orlando, Florida, the law school offers a rigorous traditional curriculum of required and elective courses that are complemented by extensive skills training that includes an intensive three-year writing program and a strong clinical program. The College of Law’s curriculum is designed to provide students with both the intellectual and practical skills necessary to meet the demands of the modern practice of law by combining theoretical coursework with clinical and practical experiences. Through the use of elective courses and leading practitioners as adjunct faculty, students are introduced to emerging trends and developments in the law.

The Florida A&M University College of Law offers both a full-time, three-year day program and a part-time, four-year evening program of study in Orlando, Florida. The part-time evening program is designed for particularly well-qualified and dedicated students who are unable to attend on a full-time basis and want to earn a law degree while working full-time.

Community service is an important facet of the educational program. The Florida A&M University College of Law serves the Orlando community by educating lawyers and future leaders to understand the value of helping those in need. Through a clinical program, law students provide pro bono legal services in Orlando while still in law school. In providing legal services, law students gain valuable experience and training, and at the same time, recognize the need for these services as they start to practice law throughout the state and nation. 

About the University

Founded October 3, 1887, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University is a public, historically Black university located in Tallahassee, Florida. What distinguishes FAMU from other universities is its legacy of providing access to a high-quality, affordable education with programs and services that guide students toward successfully achieving their dreams. FAMU is part of the State University System of Florida and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

In addition to the main Tallahassee campus, FAMU has several satellite campuses across Florida. These include the College of Law in Orlando and the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, which has sites in Crestview, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Miami.

About the Position

Reporting directly to the Provost, the Dean is the chief executive officer of the College of Law. The Dean works with faculty and staff to represent the College's programs, curriculum, and vision; oversees the strategic plan, advancement, and budget development; and guides resource allocation, teaching, research, service, outreach, and administration.

The Dean also provides leadership and advocacy for faculty and staff recruitment, professional development, evaluation, and retention; enrollment planning, student recruitment and retention and; program review and accreditation. In addition to supporting shared governance and promoting a collegial environment, the Dean actively encourages and supports cross-department and cross-College collaboration in teaching, creative activity, and scholarship. Also, the Dean will take on a leading role in ensuring sufficient bar exam preparation through programmatic enhancements. The Dean serves as a member of the Academic Dean’s Council, working collaboratively with a team of deans and academic affairs administrators. 

Strategic Alignment and Continuity

The Florida A&M University College of Law is entering a pivotal period of growth and forward momentum. Building on a foundation of recent planning, programmatic improvements, and community engagement, the College is implementing a comprehensive strategy to enhance student outcomes, expand academic offerings, and strengthen its national presence. The next Dean will be critical in continuing this

trajectory, bringing collaborative leadership, strategic discipline, and a commitment to academic excellence.

The Dean will champion and refine the College’s established roadmap, ensuring institutional alignment, sustaining faculty and staff engagement, and driving successful outcomes for students and stakeholders. This involves collaborating with faculty, staff, students, university leadership, and community leaders to monitor progress toward key institutional goals. The Dean will also regularly review student academic progress data, evaluate instructional practices and curriculum, assess outcomes through thoughtful use of metrics, celebrate collective achievements, and maintain momentum by reinforcing accountability and continuous improvement across all levels of the College.

Duties and Responsibilities

FAMU’s Dean of the College of Law will be responsible for:

• Administering and providing leadership for all aspects of the College – academic, research, law library, and community engagement;
• Strategic visioning for the College of Law, including the development and implementation of this vision;
• Leading the ongoing execution of the College’s strategic plan with a commitment to measurable progress, ensuring that goals and milestones are regularly reviewed within a culture of transparency, shared accountability, and celebration of successes;
• Supporting and elevating ongoing initiatives in bar exam preparation, experiential learning, and student success through data-informed decision making and transparent processes;
• Providing leadership and oversight for recruiting, hiring, and supervising faculty and staff;
• Effectively representing the College of Law, and working closely with the provost, deans of the other colleges and schools, as well as other administrators, alumni, and stakeholders;
• Enhancing the faculty’s intellectual activities and developing necessary resources (financial, technological, and physical space) to support and improve the College’s curricular and research programs;
• Developing a legal emphasis area that will be nationally recognized and aligns with industry or community needs;
• Leading the College of Law’s fundraising efforts by working with university development staff to raise gifts that support the mission of the College;
• Advancing the College’s efforts to create and foster an environment of collaboration and connectivity amongst faculty, staff, students, and stakeholders;
• Enhancing and growing the profile and reputation of the College of Law;
• Preparing and implementing a budget that aligns with the identified needs from the strategic plan;
• Being accessible and providing academic and professional leadership to the faculty, staff, students, and all other stakeholders;
• Continuing to build upon strong partnerships with alumni, legal professionals, and the broader community to promote student career pathways and enhance the College’s regional and national reputation;
• Ensuring the College of Law’s continued commitment to advancing “Boldly Striking,” FAMU’s 2022 – 2027 Strategic Plan and its goals related to Student Success, Academic Excellence, Leveraging the Brand, Long-Term Fiscal Health and Sustainability, and Organizational Effectiveness and Transformation; and
• Ensuring a high level of connectivity between the College of Law in Orlando and FAMU’s main campus in Tallahassee.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Successful applicants must have an earned J.D. from an accredited institution, a distinguished record of achievement as a legal scholar and/or practitioner in the legal profession, and academic qualifications and a record of achievements consistent with an appointment as a tenured Associate or Full Professor.

It is preferred that candidates possess the following:

• A strong record of effective organization and administrative skills with demonstrated successes in working with and effectively leading teams;
• Expertise in communication and stakeholder engagement, with the ability to serve as an ambassador for the College’s mission and progress;
• Capacity to formulate and articulate a shared vision, to persuade a wide range of audiences of its value, and to engage others in its implementation;
• A student-centered leadership style that values academic rigor, mentoring, and holistic support for academic and professional success;
• Experience in higher education leadership, including successful implementation of academic or institutional strategic plans with meaningful and demonstrable results;
• Proven record of understanding and overseeing complex budgets and fiscal management procedures;
• Dedication to the improvement of bar passage rates, in-depth understanding of how to actively monitor student and faculty data, and comprehensive knowledge of the latest trends related to the bar exam both within the state and nationally;
• A track record of building consensus and sustaining forward progress across various teams and institutional roles;
• Commitment to promoting values such as accountability, transparency, and consistency among faculty and staff;
• Demonstrated capacity to be present and visible, nurturing a strong academic and collegial culture among faculty, staff, and students, while also engaging in external responsibilities;
• Ability to listen to students, faculty, staff and external stakeholders and formulate thoughtful responses to expressed concerns;
• A commitment to high performance, meeting targets, and the effective management of faculty in the areas of teaching, research, and publication;
• Demonstrated ability to lead within a shared strategic vision, advancing initiatives with transparency, discipline, and collaborative problem-solving;
• Experience with developing and enhancing academic programs as well as the ability to develop external partnerships, expanding educational opportunities for students;
• Thorough knowledge of ABA accreditation standards, and the expertise to shepherd the College of Law through the accreditation process;
• Proficiency in integrating innovative approaches to teaching, assessment, and curriculum design, particularly considering the forthcoming changes to the Bar exam;
• An appreciation and respect for shared governance between faculty, staff, and administration;
• Experience and knowledge of holistic student success and professional development;
• Ability to set priorities that align with the strategic plan, regularly monitor progress of plans to achieve them, and communicate effectively with multiple constituencies to implement said plans;
• An understanding of how to focus academic programming to establish an area of concentration for the College based on the needs of the legal field and/or community;
• Broad understanding of the major developments in legal education and the ability to effectively position the College in response to them through innovation and problem solving;
• A strong commitment to and understanding of the HBCU mission;
• A demonstrated understanding of the change process and how to successfully take an organization through that progression.

Nomination and Application Process

Parker Executive Search is assisting Florida Agriculture & Mechanical University in the search for the Dean of the College of Law. The Search Committee invites letters of nomination, applications (letter of interest, full resume/CV, and contact information of at least five references), or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting the University. Review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made. It is preferred, however, that all nominations and applications be submitted prior to Friday, August 8th, 2025. For additional information, please contact:

Porsha Williams, Vice President
Jacob Anderson, Senior Principal
Jack McGrew, Associate
Parker Executive Search
Five Concourse Parkway, Suite 2875
Atlanta, GA 30328
770-804-1996 ext. 109 || 770-804-1996 ext. 111 || 770-804-1996 ext. 121
pwilliams@parkersearch.com || janderson@parkersearch.com || jmcgrew@parkersearch.com

Florida A&M University, as a public institution, operates under the state of Florida’s Sunshine and Public Records Law (Florida Statute 286.011). This law provides that any records made or received by a public agency in the course of official business are available for inspection, unless specifically exempted by the Florida Legislature. Additionally, all meetings must be publicly announced and may be attended by individuals outside of the university or scope of this search process.

The Florida A&M University (FAMU or University) is committed, as evident in our policies, principles and practices, to an educational environment and equal opportunity workplace wherein each member of the University community is free from any form of harassment and discrimination. Therefore, the University prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, religion, color, age, disability, sex, sexual harassment, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, national origin, genetic information, and veteran status, or any other legally protected group status (including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972), in accordance with state and federal laws. Discriminatory conduct in the form of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, and stalking, is also prohibited.