TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Mar 15, 2024

Former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland is the "preferred candidate" to be the next dean of the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis, according to an email obtained by the Commercial Appeal. David J. Russomanno, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost for the University of Memphis, said in the email to faculty, "We have reached an extraordinary moment with a tremendous need for a collaborative dean who will demonstrate exemplary leadership and focus on initiatives and priorities to significantly increase enrollment, bar passage rates and philanthropic support to our law school to ensure its continued viability and vitality." The current dean and the first woman in the law school's history to hold the position, Katharine T. Schaffzin, announced in an August 2023 email to the law school community that she will step down at the end of this academic year.