Gould School of Law appoints new dean

The USC Gould School of Law has appointed Andrew T. Guzman as the new dean of law, effective July 1, 2015.

According to USC News, Interim Provost Michael Quick announced Guzman’s appointment on behalf of USC President C.L. Max Nikias last Tuesday. Guzman, a specialist in the study of international law, currently administers at the University of California, Berkeley as the associate dean for international and executive education, and as the Jackson H. Ralston Professor of Law.

Guzman will take the place of current Gould Dean, Robert Rasmussen, who has administered the law school since 2007. Additionally, Guzman will assume the title of Carl Mason Franklin Dean’s Chair in Law.

“There’s no better person with education to lead the Gould School of Law forward than Andrew Guzman,” Rasmussen said. “Andrew is the leading international law scholar of his generation, he’s a gifted teacher and an incredibly able administrator. He has the experience and the vision to ensure that our school will remain at the forefront of legal education.”

Rasmussen resigned from his position last May. In the past year, the school has slipped in the national rankings, falling from the 18th spot to the 20th in the U.S. News & World Report.

The USC Gould School of Law, however, continues to receive various accolades for competitive legal education. Forbes listed USC Gould graduates as having the sixth-highest mid-career salaries among law graduates and in 2014, graduates from Gould had an 87 percent passing rate for the bar exam.

Rasmussen noted various innovative programs within the Gould School that have attributed to the continued growth among students and faculty.

“We are happy with the innovative programs that we’ve put in place. [For example] Our business law program, our entertainment law program and our program in alternative dispute resolution,” Rasmussen said. “We’re very proud of the scholars we’ve been able to attract and retain to the Gould School of Law. We are very comforted by the continued success of our graduates in an ever-changing legal profession.”

In February of last year, the USC Gould School of Law, with the combined efforts of Dean Rasmussen and President C.L. Max Nikias, raised more than $150 million to further accelerate the school’s stance as a leader in law education.

USC Gould School of Law is hailed by law scholars as a unique, unparalleled environment with distinctive programs such as the 3+3 initiative, which allows a select group of undergraduate students to complete their bachelor and law degrees within six years. The school also gains traffic from global scholars who are able to complete their Master of  Laws online.

Rasmussen explained what he foresees for the Gould School of Law under the administration of Dean Guzman.

“I think 10 years from now, we’ll look back and say it was one of the best decades in the history of the Gould School of Law,” Rasmussen said. “I think the combination of various parts of [the] law school and Andrew’s talents, ability and vision are really the recipe for success going forward.”