The University of the District of Columbia’s Board of Trustees formally approved the appointment of Twinette Johnson, Ph.D., J.D., to be the new Dean of the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law (UDC Law), effective July 3, 2023. Dr. Johnson, an accomplished legal scholar currently serving as the Acting Dean, was chosen after a national search involving inclusive participation, engagement and feedback from a range of UDC Law constituents. Before taking on the acting dean role, Dr. Johnson served as the DACSL’s associate dean for academic affairs and professor of law.
A search committee comprised of members from the internal UDC Law faculty and staff, and external members reviewed a diverse, qualified pool of applicants, assisted by the executive search firm AGB Consultants. Upon her selection, UDC’s Chief Academic Officer Lawrence T. Potter, Jr., said, “I am confident Dr. Johnson will shepherd UDC Law through this transition into new levels of engagement and excellence. She is a visionary and inclusive academic leader who will build on the strengths of the David A. Clarke School of Law’s reputation across the District of Columbia and the nation in concert with the faculty, students, staff, and alums. She understands the important place our Law School has staked out on the road to social justice for all in its mission and actions, part of a mission shared by UDC.”
Dr. Johnson stated that “I am truly honored to serve as the next Dean of the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law. UDC is a remarkable institution, and I’m humbled to have the opportunity to lead its Law School. I look forward to working with our outstanding law school faculty and staff and University colleagues as we cultivate the next generation of social justice advocates and further elevate UDC Law in reputation, impact, and outcomes.”
President Ronald Mason, Jr., who will be stepping down from his position at the University’s helm to join the UDC Law faculty in the fall, commented, “I trust Dr. Johnson’s leadership of the Law School as we navigate a surge of new social justice challenges on old and new terrain. I look forward to joining her and the other faculty in preparing the next and more diverse generation of legal professionals prepared for this critical role in a just society.”
Nationally recognized for its clinical law program, the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law, one of only six ABA-accredited HBCU law schools in the nation and the only public law school in the nation’s capital, is committed to educating students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented at the bar and is home to one of the most diverse (law) student populations in the nation.