The William & Mary Law School — the oldest law school in America — has appointed A. Benjamin Spencer its next dean. It’s an historic decision as Spencer is the first African American dean of any school at the university.
A nationally-known civil procedure and federal courts expert, Spencer is
currently the Justice Thurgood Marshall Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Virginia School of Law. He also recently completed a year as the Bennett Boskey Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School.
“Since the beginning of the search process we sought a leader who values all three aspects of the law: the academy, the bar and the bench,” said Dr. Katherine A. Rowe, William & Mary’s president. “Ben brings that broad view of legal practice, together with a deep appreciation of the ethos of the citizen lawyer that has inspired the oldest law school in the country since its founding.”
Spencer holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Morehouse College, a master’s degree in criminal justice policy from the London School of Economics and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
