President Thomas C. Galligan Jr. accepted the position of dean of Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center.

President Galligan Appointed Dean of LSU’s Law Center

by Marketing & Communications
Feb. 4, 2016

Yesterday afternoon, President Thomas C. Galligan Jr. accepted the position of dean of Louisiana State University’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center. His role there begins July 1.

President Galligan announced Sept. 1 that he would not seek a third term after 10 years in office when his second term ends June 30.

The LSU post is a homecoming for the president; from 1986 to 1998, he taught at the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University, where he was named the Dr. Dale E. Bennett Professor of Law and was honored by the students as the Outstanding LSU Professor six times.

“When we came to Colby-Sawyer ten years ago, it felt right. And our decade here has been magical,” said President Galligan. “Now, LSU feels just as right. It’s where I began my teaching career; it’s a fabulous place with wonderful faculty, staff and students. And LSU has energetic, dedicated leadership focused on the future of higher education. Susan and I will leave Colby-Sawyer with sadness that this chapter in our lives is ending but grateful for our time here and excited about what tomorrow will bring.”

President Galligan was one of 29 candidates for the position. He and another finalist visited Baton Rouge to meet with faculty, students, alumni and members of a search committee last week.

“We are pleased to bring Thomas Galligan back to LSU as the dean of the LSU Law Center,” LSU President F. King Alexander said in a statement. “We are seeing more opportunities for our law students than ever before with collaborations across campus, and we feel Tom is the right leader to continue to grow and further these opportunities.”

The Law Center dean provides administrative oversight for all aspects of academic life within the center, including strategic planning, fiscal management, personnel development, academic programs, research enterprises and student enrollment. The Dean also has primary responsibilities for external initiatives that include community outreach and development. The dean will report to the executive vice president and provost and serve as the chief academic and administrative officer for the Law Center.