Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law appoints interim dean to permanent role
Zachary Clopton will become the dean of the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, effective Feb. 1.
Clopton has been the interim dean since May 2025, according to a Jan. 29 press release from the university. Previously, he was an associate dean for research and intellectual life with his own research focused on civil procedure.
“Zach Clopton is a nationally recognized scholar in civil litigation who also has demonstrated himself to be a strong and steady leader, facilitating an environment that is collaborative, strategic and results-oriented,” said Kathleen Hagerty, the Northwestern University’s provost, in the press release.
“Our mission is clear: to educate and prepare future leaders in the legal profession,” Clopton said in a statement. “I remain committed to supporting our students, faculty, staff and alumni in every possible way.”
In 2023, Chief Justice John Roberts appointed Clopton to the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules, according to the press release. He has degrees from Yale University, Harvard University and the University of Cambridge.
Clopton clerked for Judge Diane P. Wood on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Chicago; worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago; and worked as an associate at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr in Washington, D.C., according to his curriculum vitae.
Clopton takes over the dean role from Hari Osofsky, who stepped down as dean last year to direct the university’s Energy Innovation Lab and the Rule of Law Global Academic Partnership.
Law.com had coverage.
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