Penn Carey Law Dean Ted Ruger, whose term ends June 30, began an investigation of Amy Wax in January 2022 after she had spent years drawing controversy for her inflammatory rhetoric.
Penn has formed a search committee to select a successor for University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School Dean Ted Ruger.
President Liz Magill and Interim Provost Beth Winkelstein announced the formation of the committee on Oct. 4. The committee will be chaired by Wharton Dean Erika James and consists of 17 other members, including faculty, students, alumni, and consultants from Korn Ferry, an organizational consulting firm.
“We are pleased to announce the formation of an ad hoc Consultative Committee to advise on the selection of the next Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School,” Magill and Winkelstein wrote in the announcement.
The announcement precedes the upcoming end of Ruger’s term on June 30, 2023, after eight years in the position. In 2021, Penn extended Ruger’s term through June 2023, along with the term of Graduate School of Education Dean Pam Grossman, who “expects to step down” at the end of her term. According to University policy, deans typically serve no more than 12 years in their position, with a first term of no more than seven years.
Under Ruger’s tenure, Penn Carey Law rose to sixth in the U.S. News & World Report law school rankings, the highest ranking the Law School has achieved, and continues to lead in employment rate after graduation, spokesperson Meredith Rovine wrote in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian.
Penn Carey Law also improved student diversity and access to legal education. Students at the law school today come from a broader range of backgrounds, have higher median LSAT and grades, and have greater demographic diversity than ever before. Since 2013, financial aid has risen 83%, and the Dr. Sadie T.M. Alexander Scholarships were created to increase access to a legal education at Penn Carey Law.
Ruger’s term saw the hiring of 17 faculty members and an increase in the percentage of women faculty members and faculty members of color by 92% and 51%, respectively. Ruger spearheaded partnerships across the University including increasing opportunities for joint degree programs, hiring Penn Integrates Knowledge professors, and launching the Future of the Profession Initiative, according to the statement.
Ruger also helped secure two of the top ten gifts in the history of legal education and the largest single gift to a law school ever.
This year, Ruger has presided over Penn Carey Law during the sanctions investigation of Penn Carey Law professor Amy Wax and requested that the Faculty Senate impose “major sanctions” against her in July.
After joining Penn Carey Law in 2004, Ruger served as deputy dean and was promoted to the position of dean in 2015. Ruger is also the Bernard G. Segal Professor of Law and specializes in the study of judicial authority, health law, and pharmaceutical regulation. He has taught classes in constitutional law, health law, and regulation, legislation, and food and drug law and policy.
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