George Mason names new law school dean

George Mason University announced Thursday it has named Kenneth Randall as the new dean of its Antonin Scalia Law School in Arlington, effective Dec. 1, replacing Henry Butler.

Randall previously served as dean of The University of Alabama’s law school for 20 years and as special counsel to UA President Robert Witt. During his time as dean there, Alabama’s U.S. News & World Report ranking jumped from 96 to 21. 

“Ken Randall is a proven leader who embodies the spirit of George Mason University,” Mason President Gregory Washington said in a statement. “He brings a commitment to ideas, faculty diversity and a proven ability to attract a wide range of students. We are excited to welcome him to Mason Nation.” 

In 2013, Randall founded iLaw Distance Education, a distance learning platform that partners with nearly 25% of all law schools. iLaw Distance Learning was acquired by BARBRI Holdings through Leeds Capital in 2017. 

“This is a strategic hire at an important moment for our law school and university,” GMU Provost and Executive Vice President Mark Ginsberg said in a statement. “Dean Randall is an independent thinker with an impressive track record. He will take the Scalia Law School to new heights.”

Randall earned his doctorate and master’s degrees concentrating in international law from Columbia University, another master’s degree in law from Yale University and his juris doctorate from Hofstra University.

“I admire Scalia Law’s entrepreneurial spirit and its commitment to intellectual diversity,” Randall said in a statement. “In the spirit of Antonin Scalia, this school encourages the robust and respectful debate of ideas, and that makes it unique among law schools.”

Butler, who led record-breaking fundraising during his five years as dean of the Scalia Law School, will remain on faculty as executive director of the law school’s law and economics center.

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