Northwestern named Pritzker Prof. Zachary Clopton as interim dean of the Pritzker School of Law on Wednesday for a two-year term beginning July 22. 

Clopton, a civil litigation scholar who joined NU’s law faculty in 2019, currently serves as Associate Dean for Research and Intellectual Life. During his tenure as interim dean, he will also hold the Daniel Hale Williams Professorship.

“Zach is a thoughtful and distinguished legal scholar who has earned the respect of colleagues across disciplines,” Provost Kathleen Hagerty wrote in a May 28 news release. “He is deeply committed to the intellectual vitality and public mission of Northwestern Pritzker Law.” 

Clopton’s research focuses on civil procedure, federal courts and transnational litigation. His work has been published in leading journals including the Yale Law Journal, Stanford Law Review and University of Chicago Law Review. In 2023, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts appointed him to the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules.  

A former Assistant U.S. Attorney in Chicago, Clopton has worked on amicus briefs in federal jurisdiction cases and collaborated on litigation in civil rights, environmental law and international human rights. He holds degrees from Yale University, Harvard University and the University of Cambridge. 

Clopton will succeed current Pritzker Dean Hari Osofsky, who announced May 21 she will step down this summer to lead two new Pritzker initiatives. Her position change follows a review of her tenure as dean and alleged community concerns over staff turnover and management under her leadership.

Email: [email protected] 

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