Verna L. Williams is the new interim dean of the College of Law at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. She is the Judge Joseph P. Kinneary Professor of Law and co-director of the Center for Race, Gender, and Social Justice at the law school.
Professor Williams joined the faculty at the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 2001. She is the co-director of the university’s joint degree program in law and women’s studies.
Before joining the faculty at the law school, Professor Williams was vice president and director of educational opportunities at the National Women’s Law Center. She is a graduate of Georgetown University and Harvard Law School.
The dean post was left vacant when Jennifer S. Bard, the first woman dean in the 184-year history of the law school was placed on administrative leave earlier this spring. She then sued the university. On May 8, it was announced that Dean Bard had settled with the university and subsequently resigned as dean. She will receive two years of academic leave at full salary and then can return to the law school as a tenured faculty member.
