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Fierce Critic of Law School Rankings Steps Down as Dean -- but Goes Out Swinging
The National Law Journal
October 17, 2008
Source: Glowimages
The Case Western Reserve University School of Law dean whose opinion piece this summer called on his colleagues to unite against the U.S. News & World Report law school rankings is stepping down at the end of the semester.
Gary Simson has held the law school's top post for two years. The school announced that Robert H. Rawson Jr., a partner in the Cleveland office of Jones Day, will take over as the interim dean while a permanent replacement is found.
In a July op-ed piece, Simson argued that the ranking system is problematic because law schools feel pressure to make decisions that will boost their rankings rather than improve legal education. He encouraged law school administrators to stop participating in the ranking process. That call came after Case Western saw its rankings slip 10 places to 63 on this year's list.
The NLJ asked Simson about his departure.
Why are you leaving?
This is not a protest against the U.S. News & World Report or anything of that sort. We have a new president [Case Western Reserve University President Barbara Snyder]. I was already dean [when Synder was appointed], and she had been a law professor before and knows a lot about legal education. I respect her very much, and I know that it's mutual. We both have very similar visions for what makes a good law school, but we have some different ideas about how you get there. I think it is appropriate that she has someone of her own selection, and I made the decision to step down.
Were the school's rankings and your op-ed piece factors in your departure?
I'm glad I published the op-ed, and I'm glad it created some controversy. My view is that I really hope people stop participating in the rankings. But as long as the rankings are there, I want the law school to improve. The rankings have an impact on our students' job prospects, among other things. We reduced the size of our first-year class and took other measures that I believe are educationally sound, and this year's entering class are the best-credentialed students that we've had in 15 years. That could have a significant impact on our ranking.
Were unhappy donors a factor in your decision to leave?
There were instances where I got phone calls and e-mails from people, and I responded to their concerns candidly [by touring local law firms and discussing the rankings situation with alumni]. If people were unhappy, my view is that I wanted to know who they were, and I wanted to speak with them. There were certain decisions that I made [including the establishment of a Center for Social Justice to assist students interested in public interest law] that another dean might not have, but I explained my decisions.
What's next for you?
I intend to continue teaching [at Case Western]. My plan is to continue on the faculty. That's not to say I wouldn't want to be a dean again or perhaps a college president.
