TULANE TALK

June 5, 2009

Good Morning:

As many of you know, Larry Ponoroff, who has served as dean at Tulane University’s School of Law since 2001 will become dean of the University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law effective July 1. Larry, a friend and colleague, enjoyed great success as dean, including leading the law school through the numerous challenges of Hurricane Katrina. He and his wife Monica were active members of the New Orleans community and will be sorely missed.

While we search for a permanent dean to replace Larry, Stephen M. Griffin, the Rutledge C. Clement Jr. Professor in Constitutional Law and vice dean for Academic Affairs at Tulane School of Law, has agreed to serve as interim dean for an appointment of up to two years.

Steve, who has been a law school faculty member since 1989, brings commitment, breadth of experience and depth of knowledge that will ensure the continued growth of Tulane Law School, which is ranked among the nation’s best.

Before coming to Tulane, Steve served as a Bigelow Fellow at the University of Chicago and a research instructor at New York University. He has published over 30 articles, book chapters, and reviews on topics ranging from Rawls’s theory of justice to the theory of American constitutional interpretation. He is also the author of American Constitutionalism: From Theory to Politics, which was published by Princeton University Press and the recently published Lexis reader, Constitutional Theory: Arguments and Perspectives.

Renowned for his scholarship and passion as a teacher, Steve has won both the Sumter Marks Award in recognition of his publications and the Felix Frankfurter Distinguished Teaching Award, given by the graduating class. Please join me in welcoming Steve to his new position, the latest in his long service to Tulane University.