Florida State University (FSU) invites nominations, expressions of interest, and applications for the position of Dean in the College of Law. The University seeks a leader who will partner with the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and the College’s faculty to lead the institution in its continued advancement of academic excellence. The skills sought are visionary and collaborative leadership, coupled with strong administrative and interpersonal skills necessary to support the academic and educational mission of the College of Law.
The Dean will serve as the chief academic officer and chief administrative leader of the College, responsible for advancing a bold and compelling vision for the future of legal education in a rapidly changing global and professional environment, strengthening FSU Law’s national reputation for excellence in scholarship, teaching, and service to the legal profession and society. As the College’s principal strategist and advocate, the Dean will provide collaborative leadership that reinforces FSU Law’s commitment to rigorous scholarship, student‑centered education, meaningful engagement with the legal system, and measurable academic and professional outcomes.
Click here for the full Job Description.
The University has retained WittKieffer to assist with this national search.
Nominations and inquiries can be directed to Werner Boel at wernerb@wittkieffer.com.
Campus Visits
The national search for the next Dean of Florida State University’s College of Law has advanced to the campus interview stage. Beginning June 22, finalists will visit campus for formal interviews. We invite the campus community to attend in-person open forums with the finalists. These sessions provide an opportunity to engage directly with candidates and contribute valuable feedback as part of this important search process. Your insight and involvement are vital to this important decision. To support meaningful dialogue and active engagement, in‑person attendance is strongly encouraged. A Zoom option will be provided on the search website for those who require remote participation.
Finalist names will be publicly released approximately 24 hours prior to the start of on-campus interviews. At that time, candidate materials and a feedback survey will be added to this search website.
CV
Letter
Feedback Survey
The survey will close on Friday, June 26, at 5 p.m. ET
Monday, June 22, 2026
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
FSU College of Law, Main Classroom Building, Room 101
425 W Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306
CV
Letter
Feedback Survey
The survey will close on Friday, June 26, at 5 p.m. ET
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
FSU College of Law, Main Classroom Building, Room 101
425 W Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306
CV
Letter
Feedback Survey
The survey will close on Friday, June 26, at 5 p.m. ET
Wednesday, June 24, 2026
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
FSU College of Law, Main Classroom Building, Room 101
425 W Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306
Search Committee Meetings:
Committee Interviews
Monday, June 15, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET
Tuesday, June 16, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET
FSU Training Center, Room 210
Search Committee Meeting
Tuesday, June 16, 2026, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET
FSU Training Center, Room 210
Meeting Agenda
Candidate Presentation Meeting
Tuesday, May 12, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET
Westcott Building, Room 201
Meeting Agenda
Search Committee Check In Meeting
Monday, April 13, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. ET
FSU Training Center, Conference Room 210
Meeting Agenda
Search Committee Launch Meeting
Thursday, March 12, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. ET
Westcott Building, Room 201
Meeting Agenda
Search Committee Chair:
Dr. Jeanette Taylor — Vice President for Faculty Development and Advancement, Florida State University
Search Committee Members:
Rosalyn 'Sia' Baker-Barnes — President, The Florida Bar; Shareholder at Searcy Denney Law
Shawn Bayern — Associate Dean for Technology and Larry & Joyce Beltz Professor of Torts, College of Law
Nancy Benavides — Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Student Advancement, College of Law
Thomas Blomberg — Dean, College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University
Joshua Coco — Executive Director, Stoops Center, College of Law
Jeanne Curtin — Former Chair, FSU Alumni Association National Board of Directors and Former Member of the Florida House of Representatives
Carolyn Egan — Vice President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel, Florida State University
Kaitlyn Gazzara— Student; President of Law Students Practicing Wellness
Yuliya Guseva — Kevin Wood and Mary Jo Peed Professor, College of Law
Debra Henley — Associate Dean for Career Services and Professional Development, College of Law
David Landau — Tobias Simon Eminent Scholar and Associate Dean for International Programs, College of Law
Ben Odom — Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, NASCAR
Sean Pittman — Senior Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Pittman Law Group, PL
Judge Heather Rodriguez — Ninth Judicial Circuit
Peggy Rolando — Partner, Shutts & Bowen
Jeffrey Stoops — President and Chief Executive Officer of SBA Communications Corporation
Henry Zhuhao Wang — Mason Ladd Professor of Law, College of Law
For questions about the search or to request an accommodation, contact Amy Espinosa, HR Administrator, at amy.espinosa@fsu.edu.