President and Dean

The Appalachian School of Law, (“ASL”), invites nominations and applications for the position of President & Dean.

ASL exists to provide opportunities for people from Appalachia and beyond to realize their dreams of practicing law and bettering their communities. We attract a qualified, diverse, and dedicated student body, many of whom will remain in the region after graduation and serve as legal counselors, advocates, judges, mediators, community leaders, and public officials. We offer a well-qualified faculty, a rigorous program for the professional training of lawyers, and a comprehensive law library. The program emphasizes professional responsibility and practice skills. The ASL community is an exciting, student-centered environment that focuses on honesty, integrity, fairness, and respect for others. ASL also requires community service and provides a critical resource and access to justice for all people, the bar, courts, and other institutions of the region.

The President & Dean serves two equally important roles at Appalachian School of Law. First, the President and Dean is the principal advocate for ASL both within and outside the school.  The President will work collaboratively with the administration and deans of other schools. The President is also responsible for developing, engaging, and cultivating potential donors and for facilitating school service and outreach to the state in support of its commitment. The next President must be visionary, and have a commitment to public service and to diversity, equity, and inclusion necessary to advance ASL and inspire its multiple constituencies.

The President and Dean also provides intellectual and strategic leadership, guiding ASL in its commitment to innovative, relevant education for current and future generations of students. Specifically, the Dean's responsibilities include building relationships with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and other key constituencies to envision and realize ASL's goals for advancement. Such work includes consulting with and empowering faculty to revise and develop curricula; elevating ASL's high standards of teaching, research, and service; administering ASL's budget; recruiting faculty; building an inclusive, collaborative community culture; taking a lead role in other faculty personnel matters, including tenure, promotion, and renewal; and advocating for and advancing ASL at the school and national levels. The ideal candidate will possess proven experience as an innovative, collaborative, and accomplished leader with a successful record of advancing complex organizations or institutions.

The President and Dean will be managing approximately 55 full and part-time employees. Candidates must possess a J.D. or its equivalent from an accredited institution and a record of accomplishments (academic or experiential) to qualify for appointment at the rank of Professor. Applications and nominations are now being accepted. For a full application package, please include a cover letter, CV, and a list of five references. Confidential inquiries, nominations, and application materials should be directed to kraker@asl.edu. Submission of application materials should be done by PDF. The application deadline is September 20, 2023. Should the Search committee desire to extend the process for application beyond September 20, 2023, a separate notice will be published. The search will be conducted with a commitment to confidentiality for candidates until finalists are selected.

As an employer and institution of higher learning, the Appalachian School of Law does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, sex/gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy/childbirth, marital status, genetic information, disability, religion, political affiliation, military status, ethnicity, or national origin.  Race discrimination includes discrimination on the basis of traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles.