Yale law dean departs to lead Ford Foundation

By Karen Sloan

July 1 (Reuters) - Yale Law Dean Heather Gerken is leaving that post to become the president of the Ford Foundation in November, the foundation announced Tuesday.

In her new role, Gerken will head up one of the largest and most high-profile philanthropies with a $16 billion endowment to "address inequality and build a future grounded in justice" according to its website.

Gerken will succeed outgoing Ford Foundation President Darren Walker, who said in July 2024 that he would step down in 2025 after more than a decade leading the organization, which was founded by auto magnate Henry Ford’s son Edsel Ford in 1936.

Gerken, who has led No.1-ranked Yale Law School since 2017, was not available for an interview on Tuesday but said in a prepared statement that she would work to “protect democracy and the rule of law and further our mission to create a more just and fair world for everyone.” A Yale law spokesperson said an interim dean has not yet been named.

A number of elite law schools have seen leadership changes in recent weeks. On Monday, Harvard University elevated John Goldberg to permanent dean, after serving as interim dean since March of 2024. Monday also marked William Treanor’s last day as dean of No. 14-ranked Georgetown University Law Center after 15 years in that post. Professor Joshua Teitelbaum is serving as interim dean.

On Tuesday, longtime University of Chicago law professor Adam Chilton officially became dean of that No. 3-ranked school, while former Georgetown law professor Neel Sukhatme became dean of the No. 8-ranked University of Michigan Law School. Also on Tuesday, former Arizona State law professor Stephanie Lindquist became dean of the No. 14-ranked Washington University in Saint Louis School of Law.

Law school deanships typically transition over the summer, though it's unclear why an unusually high number of top law school leaders are stepping down this year. The departures come at a time when colleges and universities are under added financial pressures and uncertainty over international students, and face more government scrutiny over diversity and claims of campus antisemitism.

Gerken’s influence has gone beyond Yale Law. In 2022 she spearheaded what became a widespread boycott of U.S. News and World Report’s law school rankings, saying the rankings incentivized schools to direct financial aid to applicants with high test scores instead of those most in need. The boycott spurred U.S. News to overhaul its rankings methodology.

Gerken also initiated several programs to make law school more accessible and affordable, including eliminating tuition for low-income students. The law schools at Stanford and Harvard followed suit.

But her time at the school has not been free of controversy. Professor Jed Rubenfeld was accused of sexual misconduct, which he denied, during her tenure. She oversaw an investigation into his conduct, which resulted in his suspension for two years in 2020. Rubenfeld did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Yale Law also came under criticism in 2022 after some students protested a conservative speaker on campus, prompting two federal judges to say they would not hire any clerks from the school.

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