Anthony Niedwiecki, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Professor at The John Marshall Law School in Chicago, has been named the new Dean of Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco. His appointment is effective August 1.
“I am honored to join Golden Gate University because I share the law school’s goals of fostering a diverse and inclusive environment, valuing experiential learning and expanding access to the legal profession,” Niedwiecki said.
Niedwiecki joined the John Marshall faculty in 2010 as an Associate Professor. He has taught Law and Sexual Orientation, Lawyering Skills and Employment Discrimination. Niedwiecki was promoted in 2013 to Associate Dean for Skills, Experiential Learning & Assessment. In that role, Niedwiecki directed John Marshall’s nationally ranked Lawyering Skills Program and oversaw the implementation of a new experiential learning requirement.
Niedwiecki was named John Marshall’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in 2015. Under his leadership, he worked closely with students, staff and faculty to make sure students were given every tool necessary to succeed when they entered the job market.
“Anthony has been a driving force in helping to ensure that our students have the best legal education possible,” said John Marshall Law School Dean Darby Dickerson. “He’s worked tirelessly for the law school. We appreciate his tremendous service and wish him all the best as he heads to Golden Gate.”
During Niedwiecki’s time at John Marshall, he instituted one of the strictest experiential learning mandates in the country. John Marshall students must complete a minimum of 168 hours of practical experience – through an externship, internship or clinical experience – before they graduate. The requirement has helped garner John Marshall accolades for its real-world training, with National Jurist magazine calling the law school among the country’s best in practical training.
Niedwiecki’s leadership has also helped shape John Marshall’s legal writing program into one of the best in the nation. For the last several years, John Marshall has consistently ranked in the top five for legal writing by U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Graduate Schools.
Niedwiecki earned his bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University, a JD from Tulane University Law School and an LLM from Temple University Beasley School of Law. Before teaching, he was a commercial litigation attorney at Mayer Brown’s Houston office and a labor and employment attorney with Gardere & Wynne in Dallas. Niedwiecki is a Past President of the Association of Legal Writing Directors and is a longtime member of the Society of American Law Teachers and the Legal Writing Institute. He is also Vice President of Fight OUT Loud, a national organization dedicated to providing immediate resources, support, education and assistance for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals facing discrimination.
