Suzanne Reynolds Named Wake Forest School of Law Dean

A message from President Nathan Hatch

Dear Wake Forest Faculty, Staff and Students,

I am pleased to announce that Suzanne Reynolds (JD ’77) has accepted my invitation to serve as the next Dean of the Wake Forest University School of Law, effective July 1. Guided by members of the Board of Trustees, Board of Visitors, faculty and staff, Provost Rogan Kersh chaired a national search. After evaluating many excellent candidates, the committee selected Dean Reynolds, currently serving as interim dean, as the best choice for Wake Forest.

Dean Reynolds, who joined the Wake Forest law faculty in 1981, has served as interim dean for the past year. She is the first woman to head the law school.

As executive associate dean and interim dean, she has proven herself to be well qualified to lead Wake Forest School of Law. Dean Reynolds is a wonderful mentor and model for our law students, exemplifying the blend of research and practice that distinguishes the school. She has the vision and experience to ensure Wake Forest will continue to set the highest standards in legal education.

Widely respected for her scholarship, teaching and public service, Dean Reynolds served as executive associate dean for academic affairs from 2010 to 2014. In recognition of her talent as a professor, she earned the Joseph Branch Teaching Excellence Award in 1994. She has earned many awards for her contributions to the legal profession and on June 19, she will receive the H. Brent McKnight Renaissance Lawyer Award, which recognizes contributions to professionalism and the practice of law, from the North Carolina Bar Association.

I am excited for and confident in the future of the Wake Forest University School of Law under Dean Reynolds’ leadership. A reception in her honor will be announced at a future date.

Please join me in congratulating her on her new role.