Daniel Rodriguez won’t officially start his post as dean of Northwestern School of Law until January, but the school has been on his radar for years.
“I always admired the work being done at Northwestern,” Rodriguez said. “NU has long had a reputation for being really ahead of its time.”
Rodriguez, currently a professor at the University of Texas School of Law, will succeed David van Zandt, who served as dean from 1995 until 2011, and Kim Yuracko, who will serve as interim dean until January.
A respected legal scholar and professor, Rodriguez has also worked at University of California, Berkeley, and the University of San Diego School of Law, where he served as dean from 1998 to 2005.
According to Jake Julia, assistant vice president of change management staff at NU, Rodriguez’s previous experience was one of the features that distinguished him from other candidates.
“He has experience as dean, and in that experience, he really has a fabulous reputation of being able to attract and retain really great faculty,” Julia said. “(Rodriguez has) this national presence, this really great track record of strong leadership of faculty.”
Rodriguez said he plans to play off his experience in San Diego once he arrives at NU, especially when confronting challenges.
“I’m only partially joking when I say that I’ve had the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes,” he said. “I have the experience that could only come from having faced challenges.”
Anticipation is building within the school as well, according to Prof. David Ruder, who himself was dean of NU School of Law from 1977 to 1985. Ruder said he is “extremely enthusiastic” to work with Rodriguez.
“He has a wonderful reputation as a person,” Ruder said. “He’s experienced but also quite savvy regarding the relationship of the dean to the faculty.”
While Rodriguez is eager to develop a relationship with faculty, he said he is also committed to creating a school that is truly “student-centered.” This includes cultivating a talented team of professors, but extends to incorporate alumni networking and anticipation of legal trends.
“Every responsible law school needs to understand that we are here to serve the objectives of our students,” he said. “That’s a tall order, but that has to be manifest on a daily basis.”
