Robert Chesney Appointed Dean of the School of Law

AUSTIN, Texas — The College of Texas at Austin has selected Robert (Bobby) Chesney to serve as the up coming dean of the Faculty of Law. Chesney, who at present retains the James A. Baker III Chair in the Rule of Law and Globe Affairs and has served as the school’s affiliate dean for tutorial affairs for extra than a decade, will get started his new appointment July 1. He succeeds Ward Farnsworth, who will move down soon after 10 effective years as the school’s dean.

“I am thrilled to welcome Bobby to his new situation as dean of Texas Regulation, a faculty that is greatly acknowledged to be the greatest in Texas and 1 of the nation’s leading authorized schooling institutions,” said President Jay Hartzell. “The legislation faculty is a person of the gems of the university with an outstanding heritage of generating leaders not only in the legal occupation, but in all walks of lifestyle. Bobby is the correct person to make certain that Texas Regulation stays a gem, whilst using the momentum of Texas, Austin, UT and the school itself to create even larger effects for the state, country and environment.”

A 3rd-technology Texan who graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Regulation College, Chesney is a globally renowned authority on national stability, counterterrorism, cybersecurity and disinformation. Substantially of his scholarship emphasizes the disruptive effect of technological and strategic alter on the legal frameworks governing military services, legislation enforcement and intelligence functions.

As associate dean for academic affairs because 2011, he has served advance some of the Faculty of Law’s most essential priorities, from curating the curriculum and setting up a much more inclusive studying setting, to running the challenges of COVID-19 and advertising pedagogical most effective techniques.

Chesney has been on the college at UT Austin considering that 2008 and delivers a deep knowing of the School of Law’s values and functions, as well as strong relationships with college students, team customers and alumni. He also has extensive expertise with strategic scheduling and greater training evaluation, like serving as co-chair of the preparing course of action for the university’s not long ago introduced 10-12 months strategic prepare, Change Begins Listed here, and as co-chair of the UT Austin Council for Texas Effect prior to that.

In addition, Chesney has served as director of the university’s Robert Strauss Center for Global Security and Legislation because 2014, where he presided above an extraordinary period of time of programmatic and fiscal achievements, together with the generation of an innovative interdisciplinary cybersecurity software.

“I am humbled and honored to guide the School of Law, especially now, as our college embarks on a bold strategic prepare to turn out to be the world’s highest-influence general public investigation university,” Chesney reported. “It’s a dream arrive genuine for me. We are the flagship legislation college of Texas and among the the really ideal community law colleges in the country. With pretty much a century and a 50 % of record, a globe-course school, extraordinarily gifted and varied pupils, and a large alumni community, the University of Legislation is a mighty engine for unlocking expertise, leadership and chance. I treatment passionately about this specific spot and am thrilled to have the prospect to guide our group to new heights in the years in advance.”

An award-profitable teacher, Chesney has pioneered an array of impressive classes focused on cybersecurity, counterterrorism and nationwide protection, in addition to teaching regular main programs these as Constitutional Law, Proof and Civil Treatment.

At first from San Antonio, Chesney earned a B.S. in political science and psychology from Texas Christian University in advance of earning a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He then clerked for a federal district judge and a federal circuit decide in New York Town before becoming a member of the litigation division of the agency Davis Polk and Wardwell. From there he joined the faculty of Wake Forest College Faculty of Regulation, paying 6 yrs there prior to coming property to Texas in 2008.

“Bobby is an energetic and formidable chief who not only cares deeply about the instruction we’re supplying our legislation pupils and the good quality of our exploration, but also about the results and well-being of the neighborhood — from workers to alumni,” stated Sharon L. Wooden, govt vice president and provost. “I am unquestionably assured in his ability to create on the school’s prosperous heritage and reinforce its presently stellar national reputation.”

In addition to his work in bigger training, Chesney has testified in advance of Congress on many situations, addressing a broad wide range of countrywide safety topics. He is also co-founder of Lawfare, the nation’s top on the internet resource for national protection legislation information and analysis, and he is a co-host of the hugely preferred “National Safety Law” podcast. In addition, his e-casebook on cybersecurity regulation and policy has been downloaded practically 10,000 instances and has been adopted for training course use throughout the state.

Chesney will realize success Ward Farnsworth, who has served as dean given that 2012. Under Farnsworth, the University of Legislation skilled a time period of tremendous accomplishment, raising about $140 million as portion of the university’s current money campaign, increasing the school’s general public areas, launching a hugely helpful alumni-mentoring method, and significantly more.