Nicola “Nicky” A. Boothe started as the new dean of the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law this month.

Boothe succeeds Julie Spanbauer, who served as interim dean for the past year after Darby Dickerson, who served as dean from December 2016 to June 2021, departed to become dean of Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. Spanbauer returned to her position as vice dean for academic affairs at UIC, a position she has held since 2017, according to Rosenblatt’s Deans Database and UIC’s website.