Roger A. Fairfax has been announced as Howard University‘s new Law School Dean.
“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Roger A. Fairfax, Jr. as dean of the Howard University School of Law,” said President Ben Vinson III. “Mr. Fairfax is a passionate legal educator whose extensive scholarship and commitment to criminal justice reform are deeply aligned with the law school’s mission. We are excited to welcome Mr. Fairfax to the Howard University community.”
Fairfax, who served as Dean of American University Washington College of Law, will succeed will succeed Danielle R. Holley, who served as dean from 2014 to 2023.
“I have long admired and championed the HU School of Law’s indispensable mission, and I am humbled by the opportunity to lead this extraordinary community,” said Fairfax.
“It will be a tremendous honor at this critical time to follow in the footsteps of those who have assumed the solemn responsibility of leading one of the most consequential institutions in the history of legal education and the legal profession.”
As Dean of the AUW College of Law, Fairfax successfully led a strategic plan that increased student enrollments, the highest academic credentials in the school’s history.
Before joining AUWCL, Fairfax served as Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Patricia Roberts Harris Research Professor of Law, and founding director of the Criminal Law & Policy Initiative at George Washington University Law School.
Dean Fairfax’s scholarship has been published in books and leading journals. He’s taught courses and conducted research on criminal law and procedure, criminal justice reform, racial justice, and internal investigations. He has championed diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts throughout higher education and the legal profession.
Howard University School of Law opened its doors in 1869 during a time of dramatic change in the United States. There was a great need to train lawyers with a strong commitment to helping Black Americans protect their established rights. Today, the HU Law Institute has not only grown in size, but also in curriculum and outreach of its programs.
Fairfax’s appointment will take effect July 1, 2024.
