The search for a new law school dean, which began in June of last year after the resignation of dean W.H. “Joe” Knight, Jr, continues on.

When Knight resigned, a committee was created by the UW administration to identify and select a new dean to lead the law school. On Jan. 22, 2008 the committee announced four final candidates for the dean position.

After much deliberation, the position of UW School of Law dean was offered to candidate Mary Anne Bobinski last year. However, Bobinski declined the position for personal reasons.

Rather than offering the position to any of the other final candidates, President Mark Emmert decided to form a new advisory committee to once more identify potential candidates.

“The candidates who were behind [Bobinski] were a good distance behind her,” said Emmert. “None of us felt that those were the candidates we wanted to hire.”

Notwithstanding the fact that the newest committee was only formed this summer, Emmert is optimistic that the committee will soon find its new law dean.

“The committee and chair are working very hard and aggressively in the market getting candidates,” he said. “I think we’ll see a very good pool.”

The advisory committee was appointed in May 2008, and members include many prominent members of the UW faculty and former UW alumni. Notables on this committee include Chief Justice Gerry Alexander and former UW President Lee Huntsman.

With meetings scheduled every two weeks, the committee has already accomplished several milestones in the process of finding a new dean. Working with the executive search firm Korn/Ferry International, the committee has begun to identify potential candidates to interview.

Chairing this advisory committee is College of Engineering Dean Matthew O’Donnell. As committee chair, his responsibilities are to make sure that the search stays on target and to involve those outside of the committee in the search process.

“The community should participate in the process,” said O’Donnell. “Not only the law school students but all of UW.”

O’Donnell also mentioned an upcoming Web site that will allow the general public to leave comments for the committee during the entire process.

Another member on the advisory committee is law school professor Steve Calandrillo. While Calandrillo believes that interim Dean Greg Hicks has done a phenomenal job leading the law school, he is optimistic for the outcome of the search for a new law school dean.

“Ultimately we want the right dean, the best dean for the School of Law,” said Calandrillo. “So we aren’t going to rush the search.”

Like O’Donnell, Calandrillo emphasizes the open nature of the process to find the new dean.

“We are having a series of input sessions this Friday at 1:30-2:30 p.m. in room 138 at William H. Gates Hall,” he said. “This will provide a forum for people to express what they are looking for in a dean.”

While UW Student Bar Association President Skylee Robinson feels Hicks has been highly effective in leading the law school, she noted that students can feel the effects of not having a permanent dean.

“[Not having a permanent dean] affects us in ways that we probably don’t even recognize,” she said.

Like many others in the law school and on the committee looking for the new dean to lead the UW law school, Robinson expressed hope and support for the UW’s choice for a dean.

“We’re excited for the possibility of a new direction,” she said. “A chance to move the law school continually forward.”

Reach reporter Nathan Lee at news@dailyuw.com.