UC Law SF benefits from the prestige and reach of the UC system while maintaining a unique governance structure that provides institutional independence and strategic agility.

UC Law SF offers five degree programs. The most significant is the J.D. program with roughly 1,125 of the school’s approximately 1,200 current students enrolled. The school also offers three master’s degree programs and one certificate program. The College is also home to approximately a dozen legal specialization programs, nearly all of which are ranked in the top 50 in the country by U.S. News and World Report, with several ranked in the top 25. The specializations include Business Law, Dispute Resolution (#14), Clinical Training (#24), Criminal Law, Environmental Law (#25), Government Law, Intellectual Property, International Law, Health Care Law (#16), and Tax Law (#20).

The Academic Village is transforming UC Law SF into a fully integrated urban campus where students from multiple institutions of higher education live, learn, and build community in the heart of San Francisco. UC Law SF is advancing the next major phase of the Academic Village through the transformation of the iconic Tower at 100 McAllister. Expected to be completed in fall 2027, the renovated Tower will provide new student housing, academic and administrative space, and expanded community-centered amenities that support student life and campus connection. 

The Chancellor and Dean serves as the chief executive officer of UC Law San Francisco, leading one of the nation's most distinctive legal education institutions.  The Chancellor and Dean is responsible for advancing the College's mission, ensuring academic excellence, strengthening its financial foundation, and positioning UC Law SF to lead the future of legal education.

The Chancellor and Dean provides strategic leadership across all aspects of the institution, including academic affairs, finance and administration, fundraising, government relations, strategic partnerships, enrollment, communications, operations, and the continued development of the College's Academic Village. The role requires balancing the responsibilities of a law school dean with those of a chief executive officer, overseeing a complex enterprise that includes significant real estate assets, auxiliary operations, and diverse revenue streams.

The Chancellor and Dean works closely with a broad range of internal and external constituencies including an accomplished executive leadership team, faculty, staff, students, alumni, the Board of Directors, the University of California system, state and local government leaders, and the legal profession to advance the College's strategic priorities and ensure its continued momentum.

The Chancellor and Dean will lead an executive team and manage a budget of $152 million to address the following key priorities: provide strategic leadership that builds upon UC Law SF's strong momentum and positions the College for long-term success; lead the College's external engagement efforts; ensure the institution's long-term financial sustainability; advance the next phase of the Academic Village; strengthen the College's visibility and reputation; promote academic excellence and student success; and recruit, develop, and retain exceptional faculty, administrators, and staff.

The next Chancellor and Dean should possess an established record of visionary, collaborative, and results-oriented executive leadership. Candidates should demonstrate the ability to lead a complex organization, formulate and execute strategy, and translate ambitious ideas into measurable outcomes. The Chancellor and Dean should be an experienced administrator capable of balancing academic priorities with operational, financial, and organizational responsibilities. Candidates should understand the transformative implications of evolving legal markets, artificial intelligence and other technology, and be excited to lead innovation in curriculum, research, interdisciplinary partnerships, and professional education.

Candidates should possess outstanding academic credentials and a record of scholarship, professional accomplishment, or legal leadership that will earn the confidence and respect of the faculty and broader legal community. The Search Committee welcomes candidates from both traditional and non-traditional leadership pathways whose experiences demonstrate the intellectual credibility, strategic perspective, and leadership capabilities necessary to guide a premier law school.

The estimated salary range for the Chancellor and Dean role is $522,200 to $607,500.

The full position specification can be found at: https://bit.ly/UCLawSFChancellor

UC Law SF invites inquiries, nominations, and applications for the position of Chancellor and Dean. Interested candidates should confidentially submit a curriculum vitae and letter of interest (Adobe PDF files preferred) to:

Joi Hayes-Scott

Consultant to the Search Committee

Russell Reynolds Associates

UCLawSF.Chancellor@russellreynolds.com

For full consideration, materials should be received as soon as possible, preferably by Sep. 21, 2026.