Jan Jurden is new dean at Wilmington University’s School of Law.
Jurden started April 1 succeeding the school’s first dean Phil Closius
She hit the ground running, already meeting with faculty and students, and says her role is to build on the foundation built by Closius.
Jurden knows she has big shoes to fill.
"My role right now is to simply stated, build on the great work, the great foundation that's been laid by Dean Closius and the team he assembled, and the fact that they achieved provisional accreditation within 2 and a 1/2 years is just a testament to their hard work and their vision and their commitment," said Jurden.
She notes she’s not a traditional dean since she comes into the job from the bench and not the academic world. Jurden retired from the Delaware Superior Court earlier this year –and says that experience will help her.
"My experience is going to prove invaluable in executing the mission for the law school because of what you've just said. Being in a courtroom and watching lawyers practice their craft in trial and motions and all sorts of settings, seeing lawyers in action,” said Jurden. “I think I'm well situated and well prepared to engage in trying to educate the next generation of lawyers."
Jurden also has experience as a lawyer, and she believes her overall resume allows her to be a resource for both students and faculty.
She adds the school’s administration and staff are talented and she expects they will set her up to carry out the vision the university has for WilmU law.
Jurden hopes to be part of the process of making a good legal education more accessible, noting she heard too many times from people who wanted to pursue a legal career but couldn’t afford it.
She adds that the hope is to be helpful for students in life after graduation and not just for them in their time at the school.
