The School of Law named Lyrissa Barnett Lidsky as its next dean on Monday. Lidsky, who will be the school’s first female dean, will begin her new role on July 1.
“I am thrilled and honored to join Mizzou Law as it continues its rise into the top tier of law schools in the country,” Lidsky said in a news release. “I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with the law school’s amazing faculty, staff, and alumni, and to have the support of a state land-grant university devoted to teaching and research excellence.”
As School of Law dean, Lidsky will be responsible for hiring, strategic planning and budgets, developmental activities and “building a climate of excellence in all aspects of the university’s academic mission,” according to an MU News Bureau release.
Lidsky is replacing interim Dean Kenneth Dean, who took on the role after former Dean Gary Myers stepped down in May 2016. Dean had previously served as the senior associate provost and the School of Law’s associate dean for 20 years. Dean has also served as interim dean three times, according to [previous Maneater reporting](https://www.themaneater.com/stories/2016/6/5/gary-myers-step-down-school-law-dean-after-four-ye/).
“Ken Dean has repeatedly shown a willingness to step up during times of transition, and I am grateful for his willingness to serve both the School of Law and the university as a whole,” Stokes said in the release.
Lidsky is currently the associate dean for graduate and non-J.D. programs at the University of Florida and has previously worked as associate dean for international programs and faculty development, according to the news release.
“Over a career spanning 25 years, Professor Lidsky has distinguished herself through her scholarship, teaching excellence, leadership and passion for legal education,” Provost Garnett Stokes said in a press release.
Lidsky has taught courses on torts, First Amendment law, mass media law, jurisprudence, social media and cyber law.
She received her bachelor’s degree in English and political science from Texas A&M University and her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. She also studied as a Fulbright Scholar at Cambridge University and clerked for Judge Joseph T. Sneed on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
“She has a clear passion for the rich tradition of legal education and innovative ideas that will foster Mizzou Law’s success in the changing legal education environment,” Kristofer Hagglund, chair of the search committee and dean of the MU School of Health Professions, said in a news release. “She is devoted to the ideals of providing an excellent and affordable education to the future legal leaders of Missouri and the region.”
_Edited by Kyle LaHucik | klahucik@themaneater.com_