Women deans gather to discuss gender and leadership

Dean Jennifer Johnson hosted the first annual Gathering of Women Law Deans at Lewis & Clark Law School on September 30, 2016. Thirteen female deans from law schools across the United States attended, discussing issues including the impact of gender on deanships, leadership, management, and external relations.

“We wanted time to get together to talk about issues unique to women leading law schools today,” says Johnson. “There are now opportunities for mentorship that were not available in the past. Our initial gathering was a great start to forging valuable connections among women deans.”

Johnson was recently profiled in an article by Perspectives magazine, titled “Women Ascend in Deanships as Law Schools Undergo Dramatic Change.” The article notes that the number of women holding deanships at law schools in the U.S. has doubled in the past decade. Currently, 30 percent of law school deans are women. In 1997, only four women held the title.

The Gathering of Women Law Deans at Lewis & Clark is expected to become an annual event with the second gathering tentatively planned for fall 2017.