William & Mary Law School dean stepping down in 2020

Davison L. Douglas, the longest-serving William & Mary Law School dean in 50 years, has announced that he will return to the school's faculty in July 2020.

“It has been an honor to serve as dean of William & Mary Law School,” said Douglas, who has served as dean since July 2009. “I have had the great pleasure of working with so many individuals who care deeply about the work of the law school — and the students whom we educate. It has been wonderful to have time at the helm of an institution that has a special place in history as the country’s first law school and where a sense of community and pride informs all of its endeavors. I look forward to celebrating the 240th anniversary of the law school’s founding in December and to working with everyone to move the university and school forward in the coming year.”

Douglas, a constitutional historian, started teaching at the school in 1990. He previously served as director of the Institute of the Bill of Rights Law and was the founding director of the law school's election law program. 

“Dean Douglas brilliantly piloted the nation’s oldest law school through one of the most successful decades in its long history,” said William & Mary President Katherine A. Rowe in a statement on the university's website. “So many areas have been furthered by Dave’s expansive vision for the school and his wise and compassionate stewardship. We are thankful for his years of exceptional leadership and grateful that he will continue to teach, guiding our students as they prepare for their careers.”

During Douglas' tenure, the school raised more than $81 million toward the university's For the Bold campaign, established the Hixon Center for Experiential Learning and Leadership and created new law clinics focusing on immigration, small business and appellate litigation, as well as the Virginia Coastal Policy Center.