Announcing a Leadership Transition at Georgetown University Law Center

December 18, 2024

Dear Members of the Georgetown University Community:

I write to share with you news about a leadership transition at Georgetown Law.

Earlier today, William M. Treanor announced to the Law Center that he will be stepping down as Executive Vice President and Dean of the Law Center at Georgetown at the conclusion of his term in June 2025.

Bill has served Georgetown with extraordinary distinction and has become known as one of the most effective leaders in legal higher education around the country. He is among the most heavily cited legal history scholars in the country. We are grateful for his leadership and his contributions here at Georgetown.

Bill joined our community in 2010 and over these past 15 years, the Georgetown University Law Center has seen remarkable growth. Under Bill’s direction, Georgetown Law has expanded access and opportunity and advanced the study of the law in meaningful ways. Bill helped grow the Law Center’s world class faculty, increased financial aid, supported emerging fields of study, expanded experiential learning through clinical, externship, and practicum programs, and strengthened opportunities for service. All this has been done in a way that captures the opportunity of being in Washington, D.C., and the spirit of justice that has animated our Law Center throughout its more than 150-year history.

The Law Center has provided an anchor for the development of our new Capitol Campus, which represents an exciting new moment for our entire community to engage more deeply across our campuses and fields of study. As part of our efforts to grow the Capitol Campus and enhance the Law Center’s infrastructure, Bill guided the fundraising for a new academic building at the Law Center, supported by over $100 million in commitments from alumni, and named for Daniel Tsai (LLM’79).

While Dean, Bill continued his scholarship and taught first-year, upper-level, and leadership courses. At the conclusion of his term next June, Bill will take a well-earned research leave and then return to teaching and service as a member of the faculty.

We look forward to celebrating and thanking him for his leadership. A plan for new leadership at Georgetown Law will be announced in the weeks ahead.

Please join me in thanking Bill for his extraordinary dedication, his leadership, and his commitment to outstanding legal education.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Groves
Interim President