SLU Names New Dean

Uh, so remember how SLU's interim dean suddenly resigned because his foot his foot in his mouth too much?

Well, they've already brought in a new one. Say hello to Michael Wolff. Apparently, SLU felt forced to move quickly given the sudden resignation, which is understandable. A law school without a prestigious, confident, well-spoken dean is like a slaughterhouse with no power; you can get the job done, but it's a lot uglier.

Overall, I have to give this hire a B. Wolff was on the state supreme court from 1998-2011, so that gives him a lot of prestige - not as much as if they called a former national leader or prominent federal judge, but it's still prestigious even in the toxic dumpsite that is Missouri. AND he was a lawprof for twenty-some years prior to jumping into the cushiest state law job imaginable.

So he appears relatively untainted by any recent exposure to the daily practice of law, thank God, but we have to question if he's truly up the task of reeling in lemmings. He just returned to academia in 2011. A lot changed between 1998 and 2011. Scamming became a much more high stakes and highly-profitable business. Tuition is much higher at private schools, and the economy and science of conning 22 year olds into believing they'll be litigating federal appeals for kind-hearted whales has dramatically changed. Plus, his experience in administration - you know, where the sausage is made - seems limited.

That said, he surely has to be better than the last guy. From the linked article:

Keefe said one of the comments that landed him in trouble was his remark that he had gotten “drunker than 10 big Indians.”

See, a dean skilled in the art of slick would have said "drunker than 10 big law partners. Self-deprecation is a sign of maturity and wit, and a good reason for listeners to invest $200k in getting an education from your prestigious dunghole. Deans know this. Small firm personal injury attorneys do not.

Keefe's lack of class and professionalism in using an unacceptable ethnic group reveals an inferior educational background. I sure hope whatever fine law school he attended wouldn't do anything stupid like appoint such a person to the deanship.