University of Maine System Chancellor Dannel Malloy is poised to appoint Leigh Ingalls Saufley as the next dean of the University of Maine School of Law. Saufley was selected after an extensive national search for the Law School’s next leader and will begin her service leading Maine’s only law school on April 15.
Leigh Saufley has served as Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court since 2001 and will continue to fill that role and meet her obligations to the Maine Judicial Branch through April 14.
A notification of Chief Justice Saufley’s pending resignation from the Maine Supreme Court has been shared with court system colleagues and staff as part of the court’s continuity and leadership transition work. In keeping with judicial canons and the Chief Justice’s responsibilities to the judiciary she will not be addressing her new role at the University of Maine School of Law prior to her resignation from the court.
A virtual introduction event with Maine Law students, faculty, and staff and a formal announcement are being planned for April 15.
“We are eager to celebrate the announcement of our new law school dean but understand that these unprecedented times require accommodations from the norm,” said University of Maine System Chancellor Dannel Malloy. “Chief Justice Saufley is nationally renowned for her accomplishments as a jurist and her commitment to public service. Next week we will have much more to say about how these attributes fit into our future plans for legal education and service in Maine.”
Dmitry Bam continues to serve as interim dean of the University of Maine School of Law.
