Richard D. Freer, the Charles Howard Candler professor of law, who has been on the faculty of Emory University School of Law for 40 years, will become the school's next dean.

Freer, who is considered a renowned expert on civil procedure and an award-winning teacher and experienced leader, will succeed Mary Anne Bobinski—the first woman dean of Emory Law—when her five-year term ends on July 1, according to the school's announcement.