Interim Pritzker Dean Zachary Clopton will take on the position long-term effective Feb. 1, according to an email sent to the Northwestern community Jan. 29.
Clopton has served as the Pritzker School of Law’s interim dean since July 2025.
He is currently a member of the U.S. Courts’ Advisory Committee on Civil Rules, a federal body that evaluates and proposes revisions to procedural rules which Chief Justice John Roberts appointed him to in 2023. He is also an elected member of the American Law Institute.
Clopton has previously occupied various roles within Pritzker, including associate dean for research and intellectual life and associate dean for academic programs. He initially joined Pritzker in 2019 as a law professor.
“Northwestern Pritzker Law has a world-class faculty, and I am excited to work with my colleagues to build on our tradition of excellence,” Clopton said in the University’s Jan. 29 news release.
Clopton assumed the interim role after former Pritzker Dean Hari Osofsky stepped down in summer 2025. In 2024, the Daily reported allegations of mismanagement and low morale under her leadership.
Clopton’s assumption of the role marks Pritzker’s fourth permanent dean since 2018.
Email: [email protected]
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