Law Schools

USC Gould Law Appoints Its First Black Dean

She masterminded the school's 'Race, Racism, and the Law' course, a first-of-its-kind required course among top law schools.

By Staci Zaretsky on July 18, 2023 12:12 pm
Franita Tolson via USC Law

Franita Tolson (Image via USC Gould Law)

Franita Tolson, who was named co-dean of the University of Southern California Gould School of Law in April, recently took over as interim dean at the elite school. She is not only the first Black dean in the law school’s history but she’s also the first woman to serve as dean in more than four decades.

Tolson, a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, has worked in academia for her entire career. Following a clerkship at the Seventh Circuit, Tolson, an election law and voting rights scholar, taught at Northwestern and Florida State before joining the USC faculty as a visiting professor in 2016. A year later, she became a professor of law, and then served as vice dean of faculty and academic affairs from 2019-22. During that time, she played a vital role in developing the school’s “Race, Racism, and the Law” course, the first required course of its kind to among top law schools.

In a statement, Tolson reflected on her new role as USC Law’s dean:

“As the first African American to hold this position ever and the first woman to hold this position in over four decades, my deanship will be about creating a new legacy and standing on the shoulders of giants. I have big shoes to fill, and I’m looking forward to all of the ways in which I can make changes that benefit this student body, this faculty and this school.”

Congratulations to Dean Tolson!

A new legacy [USC Gould Law]
USC Gould Appoints First Black Law Dean [Law.com]

Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.