Gould promotes interim dean effective April 1
Tolson will be the first Black dean and the second female dean in Gould’s history.
By ZACHARY WHALEN
Franita Tolson has been appointed as the new dean of the Gould School of Law, the Office of the Provost announced in a Universitywide email. Tolson’s appointment comes after her serving as interim dean since July 2023. She will officially take up the new role April 1. She will be the first Black dean and the second female dean in the school’s history.
Tolson has worked with the Gould School of Law since 2017 and holds a position in the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in the Department of Political Science and International Relations. She served as the vice dean for faculty and academic affairs from 2019 to 2022.
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In the email, Andrew Guzman, the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, expressed his gratitude for the Gould dean search advisory committee, citing their thoughtfulness throughout the process of selecting a new dean, as well as extending his thanks to the Gould community at large.
“I am grateful for the invaluable input and involvement of numerous groups within the USC Gould School of Law community, including faculty, staff, and students,” Guzman wrote. “Their feedback throughout this lengthy, intricate process highlights their dedication to the school and our USC community.”
Tolson’s writing has appeared in law review journals such as The Yale Law Journal and the Harvard Law Review, and she has contributed to The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. Much of her work revolves around voting rights: She testified before Congress on the issue and wrote legal analysis on an amendment to the Constitution explicitly protecting the right to vote.
Her book, “In Congress We Trust?: Enforcing Voting Rights from the Founding to the Jim Crow Era,” will be released later this year. She also worked as an election law analyst for CNN in 2020. As dean, Tolson will hold the Carl Mason Franklin Chair in Law.
In the email, Guzman asked for students to join him and President Carol Folt in congratulating Tolson on her appointment.
“We are excited to have such an esteemed member of the USC community take on this position, and are confident her leadership experience, extensive knowledge of law, and expertise in her field will propel USC Gould into a bright future,” Guzman wrote.
