Neil Hamilton, a St. Thomas law professor, will assume the position of interim dean of St. Thomas Law this month. Hamilton will replace Thomas Mengler, who has served as dean for the past decade.
Hamilton has been a law professor in the Twin Cities for the past 36 years, first at William Mitchell College of Law, then coming to St. Thomas Law when it opened in 2001.
“I have… probably 5,000 former students in this Minnesota bar,” Hamilton said. “It has been a very life-giving experience since it has been announced in the last few weeks.”
Hamilton will be working with Mengler during May to ensure that a stable transition takes place after Mengler’s last day on May 25. Hamilton said that he has considered positions in school administration in the past but believes his true calling is teaching.
“My calling is a teacher, once you are in those positions you can’t give enough time and energy to scholarship,” Hamilton said. “My self-perception is that I am able to do those (administration) jobs at a very high level for a short period of time, but I am constantly drawn back toward my calling.”
Senior Dan Erickson, who will be attending St. Thomas Law in the fall, commended Hamilton for his commitment to the classroom.
“I think it’s a sign of him living out his beliefs as a servant leader and stepping up for a short period while they search for an official dean,” Erickson said.
A dean search committee is in the process of selecting candidates and will bring finalists to the school in September, Hamilton said.
“It could be as (soon) as the end of October, to the end of next school year (until the school decides on a permanent dean),” he said.
Hamilton said he knows there are strong candidates being considered for the position, including St. Thomas faculty. At this point, the candidates names are confidential so current employment will not be affected.
Mengler was named president of St. Mary’s University in San Antonio effective June 1. He also worked at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Law for 18 years.
Since his employment at St. Thomas, Mengler has maintained that a dean should only serve nine to 10 years because others should be given a chance at the position, Hamilton said.
“Over 11 years, we have built a community of servant leaders, from students to staff and faculty,” Hamilton said. “It is inevitable that we will find a servant leader to help our community grow because we are already a very strong and stable ship aiming at that goal.”
Erickson said he met Mengler through the Tommie Law Early Admission program and likes how the law program has grown under Mengler’s direction.
“I have been impressed with… the caliber of professors it has hired, the quick accreditation after being founded and the solid base it has created as a school in a city with plenty of other schools,” Erickson said.
Hamilton said he is deeply honored that his colleagues have selected him to serve as interim dean and looks forward to it immensely.
Patrick Roche can be reached at roch6667@stthomas.edu.