DePaul University has named Gregory Mark the new dean of the College of Law.  Mark will assume the post July 1, 2011.  Mark currently serves as vice dean, professor of law and the Justice Nathan L. Jacobs Scholar at Rutgers University School of Law in Newark, New Jersey.

The selection of Mark was made following a national search by a committee of College of Law faculty, staff, and student representatives led by lawyer Gery Chico, a DePaul University trustee. 

DePaul College of Law Professor Katheryn M. Dutenhaver commented, "Based on his demonstrated excellence in scholarship, strong academic leadership and successful relationships with faculty, students and alumni, I welcome Gregory Mark as the new Dean of the College of Law. As a graduate of the College of Law, I am certain our alumni will enjoy working with him.”

“Professor Mark's experience and effective leadership will ensure that DePaul's College of Law will continue on its path of providing society with great lawyers and ground-breaking legal research,” said DePaul provost Helmut Epp. 

Mark returns to Chicago, having earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago, where he was articles editor for the Law Review.  He also holds a bachelor’s degree from Butler University and a master’s in history from Harvard University.  He served as a teaching fellow in the history department at Harvard from 1981 to 1985, and a law clerk to Judge Bruce M. Selya, U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in 1988 and 1989.

Mark is a noted legal historian and brings with him extensive experience in academia, administration and the professional world.  In addition to serving as vice dean at Rutgers, Mark has taught as a professor of law for the past 14 years and has been a member of the graduate faculty in history at Rutgers, Newark.

As associate counsel for the Office of Independent Counsel in the Iran/Contra matter, Mark helped develop U.S. v. Clarridge (which was terminated by a presidential pardon); led a project on foreign intelligence and national security concerns in the prosecution of government officials; and acted as liaison to the White House Counsel’s Office, the U.S. Senate, the National Security Agency and the C.I.A. (1989-93).

Mark has published extensively on a variety of substantive legal areas including corporate law and governance, legal history, and Constitutional law. In the words of the Search Committee, Mark is “a highly regarded scholar” whose appointment to the deanship signals “the University’s commitment to DePaul’s growing national reputation for scholarship.” 

“I look forward to returning to Chicago and the work ahead leading DePaul’s College of Law,” Mark said.  “Its deep roots in Chicago and its nearly 100-year commitment to intellectual achievement, access to education and social justice constitute a venerable tradition upon which I hope to build.”

Mark will replace Warren D. Wolfson, a former Illinois Appellate Court judge who was named interim dean of the College of Law in August 2009.  Wolfson will join the College of Law faculty.

About DePaul

With more than 25,000 students, DePaul University is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest private, non-profit university in the Midwest. The university offers approximately 275 graduate and undergraduate programs of study on two Chicago campuses and four suburban campuses and in three international locations. Founded in 1898, DePaul remains committed to providing a quality education through personal attention to students from a wide range of backgrounds. For more information, visit www.depaul.edu.

About DePaul’s College of Law

The DePaul College of Law was established in 1912.  Its research centers and institutes focus on issues such as health law, international human rights law, intellectual property, law and science, death penalty defense, animal law, international aviation law, family law, public interest law, international weapons control and dispute resolution.  Included among DePaul College of Law alumni are state and federal judges, municipal, county and state leaders and two generations of Chicago mayors.