Widener University Delaware Law School has a new dean in Todd Clark as its fall semester begins.
Clark comes from St. Thomas University College of Law in Florida where he was a professor and senior associate dean of Academic Affairs.
At Delaware Law, Clark replaces Rod Smolla as dean and takes over as the school sees in-state competition for the first time from the newly-launched Wilmington University School of Law.
Clark emphasizes the importance of fostering diversity within its student body and the recruitment process.
“One of the things that’s important to us is a sense of belonging,” said Clark. “So, we want to have a welcoming environment where we welcome students from different racial backgrounds, different experiences, and really making a concerted effort to have a very diverse student body and recruiting a diverse student body.”
Clark says Delaware Law School has been a gateway to the state’s legal community for decades and he intends to remain competitive regionally, starting with the school’s bar passage rates.
“We will win the regional championship and what does that mean? A third of our students take the Pennsylvania bar, a third of our students take the New Jersey bar, and a third of our students will take Delaware,” said Clark. “Since we’re split three, we’ll win the regional championship, which means we’ll have the highest bar passage rate in each one of those jurisdictions.”
Delaware Law School has an annual tuition rate of $55,000, though Clark says most students do not pay that after scholarships and other aid.
