Capital University Law School Dean Jack Guttenberg To Step Down in June 2010

June 5, 2009

Jack A. Guttenberg will step down as dean of Capital University Law School in June 2010, the University announced today.

The dean’s resignation, which will take effect June 30, 2010, will mark the end of six years of leadership and the successful completion of the school’s strategic plan, Building on our Momentum, Securing our Future: Strategies 2010.

As a result of the strategic plan, Capital Law School has experienced dramatic improvement in its graduates’ first-time pass rate on the Ohio Bar Exam, moving to first place among the state’s law schools with a pass rate of 94 percent in July 2008.

Positive outcomes in other key result areas, such as strengthening relationships with alumni and the Ohio legal community, sharpening the academic profile, diversifying the student body and increasing selectivity, growing the donor base, supporting faculty scholarship, creating three endowed professorship positions, and establishing a loan repayment assistance program, also have been achieved.

“I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished together in the past five years. We have strengthened the foundation of the Law School and positioned it for the next level of success,” Guttenberg said. “I look forward to completing the work of the strategic plan in the next year and then taking on new professional challenges as a teacher, scholar, administrator and advocate for accessible legal education.”

“Indeed, the momentum that has been built upon in the last five years under Dean Guttenberg’s leadership has become the strong foundation on which we now stand and prepare to reach even greater heights as we envision a compelling future for Capital University,” Capital President Denvy A. Bowman said.

Bowman also announced the University will conduct a national search for a new law school dean. Edward Inch, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, will work with the law school faculty to convene a search committee in the coming weeks. The committee will begin its work this summer.

Located in the Columbus, Ohio, neighborhood of Bexley, Capital University is a private, four-year undergraduate institution and graduate school. Capital prepares students for meaningful lives and purposeful careers through a relevant liberal arts core curriculum and deep professional programs. Influenced by its Lutheran heritage, Capital places great emphasis on the free and open exchange of ideas, seeking out diverse perspectives, active participation in society, leadership and service. It is the oldest and one of the largest universities affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Located in Downtown Columbus, Ohio, Capital University Law School was founded in 1903 and offers three degree programs – Juris Doctor, LL.M. and a Master of Taxation. The Law School houses national centers and institutes, including The National Center for Adoption Law & Policy and the Center for Dispute Resolution. In addition to enrolling more than 700 law students, Capital University Law School also serves the legal profession and business professionals through certificate programs in mediation, dispute resolution, paralegal, legal nurse consultant and life-care planner, and a variety of scholarly symposia and conferences.