Leeds reappointed UA law school dean

FAYETTEVILLE — Stacy Leeds has been reappointed as dean of the University of Arkansas School of Law, the university announced Wednesday.

Leeds will begin her second five-year term July 1. Provost Ashok Saxena made the appointment, UA announced.

“The faculty, staff, alumni, students and others were very supportive, and I am pleased that she has agreed to continue the outstanding work she began five years ago,” Saxena said in a statement.

Enrollment nationally has declined since 2010 for law schools, according to the American Bar Association. UA’s law school also has seen enrollment declines, dropping to 375 students this fall from 407 students in the fall of 2010, according to university data.

Under Leeds the l aw school has changed its first- year curriculum and created an Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative. The initiative provides assistance to tribal governments and food producers while also bringing to campus native youths for a summer leadership program focused on education and career choices.

Leeds, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, is the only American Indian woman to serve as a law dean, according to UA. Her salary will increase to $294,488, up from $276,083.

She earned a bachelor’s degree from Washington University, a master’s degree in law from the University of Wisconsin and a law degree from the University of Tulsa. Leeds also earned a master of business administration degree from the University of Tennessee.

Leeds