Austen Parrish offered a wonderful post on Dean Danielle Conway’s legacy as dean at Penn State Dickinson Law. A true visionary and dear friend to many, Dean Conway is returning to faculty as a Distinguished Professor of Law after a tremendously impactful seven years as dean at Penn State Dickinson Law. She is the current President of the Association of American Law Schools, an amazing honor.

The announcement was abrupt. Many people have been asking questions about the departure. Amazingly (in light of law school operations anyway), the Penn State Dickinson website has been updated with Dean Conway’s return to the faculty less than 24 hours after the move was announced on a Friday afternoon.

Informed law school observer Derek Muller tweeted “It appears this week’s congressional oversight task force hearing on law school accreditation had some fallout.” https://twitter.com/derektmuller/status/2080774603228504240

Earlier this week, Congress held oversight hearings, The Future of DEI in Law School Accreditation and the Legal Profession.. A former Penn State student submitted this testimony critical — to put it mildly — of the law school. Objections to the teaching of Critical Race Theory and antiracist pedagogy are at the center of the criticism.

I hope that Dean Conway was not a victim of the vicious DEI politics that have gripped the nation. A leader. A visionary. A wonderful person. I am sure we will hear more on this story.