LaVonda N. Reed has been named the next dean of the University of Baltimore School of Law and will be the school’s first female dean, the university announced Monday.
Reed, dean of Georgia State University College of Law since 2021, will begin her tenure at the University of Baltimore on July 1, replacing longtime Dean Ronald Weich.
Reed’s areas of focus in research and teaching include wills and trusts, property, and communications regulatory law and policy, according to the university’s news release.
“I am excited to join the University of Baltimore as the dean of the School of Law as the university celebrates its centennial anniversary,” Reed said in a news release. “The school’s commitment to excellence in teaching, impactful research and service to the legal academy and the profession is as inspiring as the people who make up this wonderful academic community.”
Reed said she looks forward to “building on the work of providing access to an affordable education and actively engaging the broader law school community” in supporting and advancing the school’s community and its mission.
“This work aligns with my values, and I am honored and excited about my return to the state of Maryland,” Reed said.
Reed’s family previously settled in Fort Washington, after living in numerous states during her father’s 30-year military service.
University of Baltimore President Kurt Schmoke described Reed as “an outstanding leader” who will build on the law school’s strengths and help develop interdisciplinary programs.
“In a short time, she will be viewed as an impactful leader by the state bar and Maryland citizens in general,” Schmoke said in a news release.
In an interview Monday, Reed said some of her highest priorities for the University of Baltimore include increasing the school’s bar pass rate, as well as engaging with alumni, raising money for student scholarships and supporting faculty in their work.
“As we think about achievement, we’re really thinking about everybody in the school of law being able to achieve their professional goals and their academic goals — and that goes for everyone,” Reed said. “We really want to create and maintain a culture where alumni feel as if they can come back to the school of law over the course of their career for support and continued education.”
Weich said Reed has an “excellent reputation” and is “especially thoughtful, innovative and effective as dean.”
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University of Baltimore law school names its first woman dean
