TULANE TALK

August 27, 2008

Good Morning:

As he begins his eighth year at the helm of Tulane University’s School of Law, our colleague and friend, Larry Ponoroff, has informed me that he will be stepping down as dean. Larry has agreed to stay on as dean while we embark on a national search for his replacement. Once a new dean is in place, Larry will return to the faculty where he will continue to teach and publish in the area of commercial and business law. Provost Michael Bernstein will work with the faculty of the law school to lead the search for a new dean.

Larry arrived at Tulane in 1994 as a professor of commercial and business law. In 2001 he was named dean of the law school. Under Larry’s leadership student quality at the law school increased and annual fund contributions to the school doubled. He was also instrumental in creating two endowed chairs at the law school and establishing an Advisory Board to help guide the school in these changing and challenging times.

One of the most challenging of these times was, of course, Hurricane Katrina. Larry’s steady leadership during this difficult period was something for which I, and the entire university, will always be grateful. In the aftermath of Katrina, and at my request, Larry assumed university-wide responsibilities in addition to his dean duties and did A marvelous job during our survival and recovery process.

During Larry’s tenure as dean, the law school also started a Domestic Violence Clinic to provide legal services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence in Orleans and Jefferson parishes.

Larry also oversaw the law school’s involvement with Tulane’s Payson Center for International Development, an interdisciplinary center that provides Tulane graduates the knowledge and expertise to assist countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America achieve environmentally sustainable, economically viable and socially just development.

We are grateful for Larry’s leadership and for all the contributions he has made to the university, including advancing legal education at Tulane. We look forward to his continued success at Tulane.