Northwestern University has announced the appointment of Professor Zachary D. Clopton as the interim dean of Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. The appointment, made by Provost Kathleen Hagerty, will last for two years and takes effect on July 22, 2025.
"Zach is a thoughtful and distinguished legal scholar who has earned the respect of colleagues across disciplines," stated Provost Hagerty. "He is deeply committed to the intellectual vitality and public mission of Northwestern Pritzker Law."
Clopton joined Northwestern Pritzker Law in 2019 and currently serves as a professor of law and associate dean for Research and Intellectual Life. Upon assuming his new role, he will also be appointed to the Daniel Hale Williams Professorship.
“I’m honored to help steward this remarkable institution,” Clopton expressed. “Northwestern Pritzker Law is home to brilliant faculty, passionate students, devoted staff and an inspiring alumni network. I look forward to working together to build on our strengths and meet the challenges ahead.”
His academic work covers civil procedure, federal courts, and transnational litigation. Since 2024, Clopton's articles have appeared in several prestigious law reviews including those at Yale, Stanford, Chicago, Virginia, Duke, Cornell, and Northwestern universities. In recognition of his contributions to procedural rules in federal courts, Chief Justice John Roberts appointed him to the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules in 2023.
Clopton has been involved in drafting amicus briefs for Supreme Court cases concerning federal jurisdiction and Nazi-looted art restitution. His collaborations with clinical faculty span various legal issues such as civil rights and international human rights.
His educational background includes degrees from Yale, Harvard, and Cambridge where he was a Gates Cambridge Scholar studying international relations. His professional experience includes clerking for Judge Diane P. Wood on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and roles at WilmerHale in Washington D.C., among others.
Clopton succeeds Hari M. Osofsky who led since 2021 before stepping down to pursue other university initiatives.
Hagerty concluded by saying that Clopton "is well-positioned to carry the leadership of the Law School forward," expressing confidence that he will lead with integrity.