The University of Western Ontario invites expressions of interest, applications and nominations for the position of Dean of the Faculty of Law, with the appointment to be effective July 2011 for a five-year renewable term.

One of Canada’s leading universities in both research and teaching, The University of Western Ontario is a diverse and collaborative community of nationally and internationally celebrated scholars.  Western’s twelve Faculties and three Affiliated University Colleges offer more than 60 different degree and diploma programs to over 33,000 full-time equivalent students in graduate, undergraduate and professional studies. 

Western Law has just celebrated its fiftieth anniversary.  Since its founding, it has become one of Canada's preeminent law schools and is widely acknowledged as Canada’s leading business law Faculty.  It also enjoys significant scholarly and programmatic strength in IP and IT law, labour and employment law, public law, legal philosophy, legal ethics and private law.  It offers joint degree programs with Business (both MBA and HBA), History, Political Science, Engineering, Computer Science, Information and Media Studies, and Kinesiology.  Offered in conjunction with the Ivey School of Business, Western's JD/MBA program was the first in Canada to allow students to earn both degrees in three years.  A unique combined JD/MSc program with the Department of Earth Sciences has also been established.  At the graduate level, the Faculty offers LLM and Master of Legal Studies (MLS) degrees and plans to launch a PhD program within the coming year.  Committed to internationalization, Western Law has one of the largest student exchange programs in the common law world and offers international dual degree programs with law schools in Europe, India and Australia.  For more information, please visit www.law.uwo.ca
 
Over the last ten years, Western Law has undergone a significant program of renewal, which has included appointing 24 new faculty members – most with earned doctorates, including a number attracted from other law schools.  Its student quality is higher than ever, since 2000 the average LSAT score of Western Law’s entering class has increased by 15 percentile points.  Relations with the Faculty's more than 6000 alumni are extremely strong and in most years, annual fundraising goals have been exceeded.
 
Western Law is keen to continue its dynamic growth and development.  The next Dean will have the opportunity to lead the Faculty through the beginning of its second half-century, which among other things will involve guiding it through a series of discussions about the future of legal education and research in Canada.  The Dean of Western Law will have a background as an exemplary leader, visionary communicator, educator and scholar with outstanding professional experience.  The Dean is responsible to the Provost & Vice-President (Academic) for the supervision and administration of all activities of the Faculty, including the budget.  In addition to possessing a Law degree, preferably at the graduate level, candidates should possess wide-ranging expertise and skills, including a demonstrated record of achievement and experience in, or an understanding of, the importance of research, fund raising and external relations.

The University of Western Ontario is committed to employment equity and welcomes applications from all qualified women and men, including visible minorities, aboriginal people and persons with disabilities.  The search committee will begin considering potential candidates immediately and will continue until the role is successfully filled.  A letter of introduction, curriculum vitae, and the names of five references (who will not be contacted without consent of the applicant) should be submitted in confidence to:

Laverne Smith & Associates Inc.
1 Yonge Street, Suite 1801
Toronto, Ontario, M5E 1W7
westernlaw@lavernesmith.com