Description
Southern Methodist University (SMU) Dedman School of Law invites applications for the position of Associate Dean for Legal Information. This faculty position provides vision, strategic leadership, and administrative oversight of all aspects of the Underwood Law Library, including budgeting, collection development, technology, and personnel.
The Associate Dean works closely with faculty members to support scholarship and teaching, as well as with law school administration to advance institutional goals. The successful candidate will be an innovative, forward-thinking leader who is able to balance the enduring functions of a traditional academic law library with the evolving needs of legal education, technology, research, and law practice.
Key Responsibilities:
Provide overall vision, leadership, and direction for the Underwood Law Library.
Develop and implement a strategic plan to ensure the library remains an innovative and cutting-edge resource for legal scholarship and teaching.
Guide the library’s role in the ethical adoption and application of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to enhance legal education and prepare students for modern legal practice.
Manage the library’s budget, resources, and personnel effectively.
Oversee collection development and ensure access to resources.
Support and promote faculty scholarship, curricular innovation, and student success.
Represent and advocate for the law library within the law school, across the SMU Libraries system, throughout the university, and in the broader academic and professional communities.
Our Library:
The Underwood Law Library is one of the largest private academic law libraries in the nation. With nearly 98,000 square feet of space, seating for more than 700, and a robust collection, the library offers outstanding resources for research, teaching, and learning.
Equally important, the library is a vibrant and supportive workplace. Our dedicated staff, many with more than a decade of service, bring deep institutional knowledge that provides a strong foundation for new leadership. This experienced team works collaboratively to ensure continuity while embracing innovation as the library adapts to the evolving needs of legal education.
The library also enjoys a strong relationship with SMU Dedman School of Law faculty and administration. Recently, our reference librarians were appointed as Clinical Faculty of Legal Research, underscoring the law school’s recognition of the library’s central role in teaching and scholarship.
SMU Dedman School of Law is consistently recognized for excellence in legal education and employment outcomes. Recent rankings include:
- #12 among law schools for best schools for law firm employment (The National Jurist, August 2025).
- #21 “Go-To Law Schools” for placing 2023 graduates in associate positions at the nation’s 100 largest law firms (The National Law Journal, March 2024).
- #27 among law schools with graduates placed in law firms with more than 500 lawyers (U.S. News & World Report, 2025).
- #43 overall in “Best Law Schools” (U.S. News & World Report, 2025).
With a strong alumni network and a commitment to innovation, Dedman Law provides an engaging environment in which the library plays a key role in supporting scholarship, teaching, and professional success.
Requirements
Required Qualifications:
- J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
- M.L.S., M.L.I.S., or equivalent degree from an ALA-accredited program.
- An innovative and informed vision of the role of academic law libraries in legal education.
- At least five years of increasingly responsible management experience in an academic law library, preferably as a director, associate director, or assistant director.
- Demonstrated success managing budgets, resources, and collections.
- Proven record of effective team leadership and personnel management.
- Strong knowledge of legal research resources, technologies, and emerging trends, including artificial intelligence and its impact on law and librarianship.
- Excellent communication, organizational, and leadership skills.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in strategic planning, assessment, and guiding libraries through periods of change or innovation.
- Record of professional service, scholarly publications, or teaching in legal research or related fields that will enhance the visibility and profile of the law library and law school.
