A message from Dean Usha R. Rodrigues

As we begin a new year and a new semester, I am pleased to write to you as the 14th dean of the University of Georgia School of Law. Thank you for all the warm wishes and offers of support you have sent since the announcement of my appointment. My family and I have been deeply moved by the generous welcome I have received. When I first arrived in Athens in the fall of 2005, I never imagined that nearly 20 years later I would serve in this role. What attracted me to UGA all those years ago is precisely what has kept me here: the extraordinary sense of community that we all cherish. It is that shared sense of community that has inspired me to take on this important position. 

Over the past few weeks, I have been pondering the second beat of our familiar tagline: “Prepare. Connect. Lead.” The idea of connection resonates especially deeply with me, perhaps because connection is so crucial to the theory and practice of law. When students’ eyes light up with understanding, they are making connections. Perhaps they are seeing the relationship between the different fields of law, how insights from contracts apply in property or federal courts. Perhaps they are connecting doctrine with the practice of law through the many experiential opportunities we offer. 

As important as these kinds of connections are, human connections are just as vital. The strong relationships that we have – between and among students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends – are critical to who we are and what we do. So, with the refrain of connect top of mind, I will share a few thoughts about where we are and where we are headed.

I want to assure you that our law school is in a good place – a very good place – thanks to the hard work so many have invested in our community. We will build on this foundation of strength, remaining focused on our core mission: to be a great national public law school that matches excellence with access.

Advancing that mission means recruiting and retaining intellectually vibrant faculty who will engage in the important national, state and local issues of our day. These faculty will educate the next generation of legal leaders. As a Tier-1 research university, UGA affords an array of opportunities to pursue interdisciplinary research and federal grants with faculty colleagues across campus. There is room for growth in this area, including with the new School of Medicine, to attract legal scholars to Athens. We also want to deepen our connections with members of the judiciary – both by helping our students secure clerkships across the country and by bringing more jurists to campus. 

We will continue to measure our success by student outcomes like bar passage, employment and student debt. We want our graduates to connect their passions with their professional dreams – whether it is big law or solo practice; public service or in-house; practice in Rome, GA, or in Rome, Italy. Bottom line – wherever our students want to go, our law school can get them there.

UGA Law has risen in important national rankings – including U.S. News & World Report (#20 overall/#7 among publics) and Best Value Law School (#1 for five of the last seven years). We are seeing increased interest among prospective students, potential employers and professors. This recognition is gratifying, of course, but it is meaningful only because it is an acknowledgment of the quality of our law school. This growing external awareness of our value helps us to better connect with and serve the needs of the citizens of our state, our nation and our globe.

Under the committed leadership of the deans who came before me, we have accomplished so much. It is our strong community and shared purpose that will propel us forward as we remain a culture that values inclusive excellence, where every individual feels they are valued, supported and an integral part of our collective success.

I want to emphasize that the true strength of our institution lies in our people – the faculty, staff, alumni, students and friends of our law school. This was especially evident during and following the tragic event last week in New Orleans. I was moved by the compassion and solidarity demonstrated by our students and alumni supporting one another during such an awful time, as it spoke volumes about the community that we all hold so dear.

Please know I am deeply honored to have been chosen as your dean, and I look forward to enhancing existing relationships and building new connections as we embark on this new journey together. I am counting on each of you to help advance the mission and vision of the University of Georgia School of Law. Together we can strengthen our institution and exemplify what a great national public law school can and should be.

Sincerely, 

Usha R. Rodrigues
Dean, University Professor & M.E. Kilpatrick Chair of Corporate Finance and Securities Law