Four candidates for the dean of the School of Law — Elizabeth Weeks, Michael Higdon, Johanna Kalb and Ned Snow — will hold open forums on Oct. 23, Oct. 26, Oct. 30 and Nov. 2, respectively.  All open forums will be held at 3 p.m. in the E.J. Ball Courtroom in the School of Law.

During their presentation, each candidate will focus on the strengths and opportunities they see for the School of Law. Additionally, each candidate will highlight past experiences that have prepared them for this position, offer thoughts and commentary on trends in legal education and research, and provide insight on how they will advance the School of Law's vision for the future. Each presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

The campus community will be able to attend the presentations in person or virtually. A recording after each open forum will also be available for those unable to attend. More information on how to attend virtually or view the recorded presentation will be provided in Arkansas News on the day of each presentation.

Elizabeth Weeks, presenting Oct. 23

Weeks will present at an open forum at 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 23, in the E.J. Ball Courtroom. Since July 2020, Weeks has served as associate provost for faculty affairs at the University of Georgia, where she holds the rank of professor and is the Charles H. Kirbo Chair in Law.

Weeks' teaching and research focus on torts, health law, healthcare financing and regulation, and public health law.

Prior to her current appointment, Weeks held the position of associate dean for faculty development at the University of Georgia School of Law and director of the Medical-Legal Partnership Clinic at the University of Kansas School of Law. Weeks has served as a faculty member at the University of Kansas School of Law and the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.

Weeks holds a bachelor's degree in Latin American studies and political science from Columbia University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Georgia School of Law. For more information on Weeks, view her curriculum vitae.

Michael Higdon, presenting Oct. 26

Higdon will present at an open forum at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26, in the E.J. Ball Courtroom. Higdon is the interim associate dean for academic affairs and the W. Allen Separk Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Higdon teaches and writes in the areas of constitutional law, legal process, wills and trusts, and family law.

Before being appointed interim associate dean for academic affairs in 2023, Higdon served four years as associate dean for faculty development at the University of Tennessee College of Law where he joined the faculty in 2009. He has also served as a faculty member at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law.

Higdon holds a bachelor's degree in English from Erskine College, a master's degree in communication studies from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and a Juris Doctor from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law. For more information on Higdon, view his curriculum vitae.

Johanna Kalb, presenting Oct. 30

Kalb will present at an open forum at 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 30, in the E.J. Ball Courtroom. Since 2021, Kalb has served as dean and professor of law at the University of Idaho College of Law.

Kalb's research and teaching interests include constitutional law, federal courts and the law of detention and democracy.

Prior to joining the University of Idaho College of Law as dean and professor of law, Kalb served as associate dean of administration and special initiatives and was the Edward J. Womac Jr. Distinguished Professor of Law at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Kalb has also served as a visiting faculty member at Yale Law School and as a fellow in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law.

Kalb holds a bachelor's degree from Stanford University, a master's degree in international relations (African studies) from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. For more information on Kalb, view her curriculum vitae.

Ned Snow, presenting Nov. 2

Snow will present at an open forum at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2, in the E.J. Ball Courtroom. Since 2021, Snow has served as associate dean for faculty development and scholarship at the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he holds the Ray Taylor Fair Professorship in Law.

Snow's research focuses on the intersection of morality, intellectual property and the Constitution.

Prior to his current appointment, Snow served as associate dean for research and faculty development at the U of A School of Law from July to December of 2011. He held faculty appointments at the U of A School of Law and Brigham Young University Law School before joining the University of South Carolina law faculty in 2012.

Snow holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy and economics from Brigham Young University and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. For more information on Snow, view his curriculum vitae.

The dean search for the School of Law is chaired by Dean of the College of Education and Health Professions Kate Mamiseishvili.

"The search committee and I are thrilled to bring these four finalists to campus to be considered for the School of Law dean position," Mamiseishvili said. "These four candidates have each exemplified a strong record of academic leadership and made significant contributions to legal education and scholarship. The committee worked diligently to recruit and vet the candidates, and we can't wait to have the Law School and campus community meet our exceptional finalists."

For more information on the dean candidates and the search process, please visit the School of Law dean search website.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.