New dean announced for S.J. Quinney College of Law

University of Utah Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dan Reed announced that Elizabeth Kronk Warner has accepted an offer to serve as the next dean of the S.J. Quinney College of Law. Elizabeth Kronk Warner is the first woman named to the deanship in the 106-year history of the law school.

Kronk Warner is currently associate dean of Academic Affairs, professor and director of the Tribal Law and Government Center at the University of Kansas School of Law. She is the first woman named to the deanship in the 106-year history of the University of Utah’s law school.

“Kronk Warner is highly regarded as a natural leader and consensus builder who engages deeply, prioritizes both faculty scholarship and student success, and is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion,” Reed said. “Her academic background is aligned with the strengths of our law school and her experience in administration, alumni and donor relations, scholarship and community service will help move our outstanding law school to new heights.”

Following completion of the appointment approval process, Kronk Warner will begin on July 1, 2019.

“I am impressed with the S.J. Quinney College of Law’s strong reputation for scholarly excellence, commitment to students and record of community engagement,” Kronk Warner said. “The school has done an exceptional job of balancing a commitment to excellent educational opportunities for students at an appropriate cost while also promoting outstanding scholarly work. I look forward to leading the college to even greater success in the coming years.”

Kronk Warner joined the University of Kansas in 2012 as director of its Tribal Law and Government Center. She was appointed associate dean in 2015, overseeing operational issues and coordinating on admissions, career services and administration of 12 joint degree and eight certificate programs. Kronk Warner currently is responsible for all matters related to academic compliance and student affairs; she served as acting dean for a four-month period in 2016.

Kronk Warner also chairs the school’s faculty and staff diversity and inclusion committee, is an ex officio member of the student Dean’s Diversity Leadership Council and is president of the university’s Native Faculty and Staff Council. Kronk Warner previously was an active member of the Federal Bar Association, serving on its national board of directors. She is currently active in the American Bar Association, where she is co-chair of the Native American Resources Committee.

Kronk Warner is a nationally recognized expert in the intersection of environmental and Indian law. She has taught courses in property, Indian, environmental and natural resources law and supervises the school’s Tribal Judicial Support Clinic. Kronk Warner has received several teaching excellence awards, co-authored several books on environmental issues and Native Americans, and has 40 articles and book chapters to her credit. Kronk Warner, a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, serves as an appellate judge for the tribe and as a district judge for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Tribe.

Kronk Warner received her juris doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School; she received her undergraduate degree in communication from Cornell University and also studied at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. She worked in private practice for several years before entering academia. Prior to joining the University of Kansas, Kronk Warner was a law professor at the University of Montana and Texas Tech.