New dean selected for W&M Law School
The College of William & Mary has selected A. Benjamin Spencer to be the next dean of the William & Mary Law School beginning July1.
Spencer will be William & Mary’s first African American dean of any school at the university, according to the news release, and his appointment will be formally confirmed at the Board of Visitors meeting scheduled for June 16, according to William & Mary spokeswoman Erin Zagursky.
“William & Mary is thrilled to welcome Ben Spencer as our next dean of the law school,” President Katherine Rowe said in the news release. “Since the beginning of the search process we sought a leader who values all three aspects of the law: The academy, the bar and the bench. Ben brings that broad view of legal practice, together with a deep appreciation of the ethos of the citizen lawyer that has inspired the oldest law school in the country since its founding.”
Spencer will succeed Davison Douglas, who will return to William & Mary faculty after serving as dean for more than10 years.
“I am delighted with the selection of Ben Spencer as the next dean of William & Mary Law school,” Douglas said in the news release. “He is a marvelous leader and is the right person to help the law school continue its forward momentum.”
Spencer currently serves as the Justice Thurgood Marshall Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Virginia School of Law.
In a phone interview, Spencer said “it’s an honor to be a trailblazer” as the first African American dean of a school at William & Mary, but also emphasized that what’s most important is identifying the best person for the job.
“My attitude has always been that if you open yourself up to really looking for excellence in the people that you’re trying to hire for roles, that will necessarily result in a diverse array of people filling those roles,” he said. “It isn’t just one particular demographic category that has a monopoly on excellence. That’s absurd. It’s about being committed to finding excellence wherever it is, and the current administration (at the College of William & Mary) is doing that.”
Spencer said he wants William & Mary’s law school to be recognized as the “preeminent law school in Virginia” and one of the top schools in nation for “unparalleled excellence,” he said.
“I want students to come here and know that they’re going to become fantastic lawyers, and that we’re going to fully support them in succeeding, in passing the bar and in getting really good jobs,” he said.
His priorities include “expanding into other educational opportunities” at the law school, which includes legal education for military service members and corporate professionals.
He also plans to expand alumni engagement nationwide and “across the demographic spectrum,” especially during the current difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which will require “increasing contributions from alumni and other donors,” he said.
“Everyone is working really hard to serve students, but I have to work hard to serve these employees and faculty members, (and) make sure that they’re having a good experience.”
What’s meant the most to Spencer as an educator has been the positive response he’s received from his students in civil procedure. He said they’ve been “grateful” for the training, because it’s “very technical” topic that’s essential for their legal careers.
“I take the most pride in taking something that’s complex and obscure and making it approachable and understandable for the students,” he said.
Marlette Spencer, his wife, has been important in “facilitating my success,” he said. The two have nine children together.
“There’s no way I could do the things that I do and that I’m going to do in this position without her, helping me with those children and supporting me. She’s made a lot of sacrifices, and that deserves recognition. She’s going to be part of the success in what I do,” he said.
Spencer also follows “a family tradition of pioneers and professional success,” according to the news release..
His father, James Spencer, was the first African American chief judge in the 215year history of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. In 1986, he became the first African American federal judge in Virginia.
Spencer’s grandfather, Dr. Adam Arnold, was the first African American professor at Notre Dame University, where he taught finance for 30 years. His mother, Alicia Spencer, is a retired elementary school principal in Newport News.