Loyola Marymount University has made permanent Brietta Clark’s appointment as dean of Loyola Law School.
Clark, who was interim dean since June, is the law school’s first female and Black dean in its history. She has served on the downtown school’s faculty since 2001 and is now its 19th dean. Her appointment was made official in December.
With the appointment, Clark said she has made Loyola Law School her “professional home” on account of its dedication to academic excellence, promoting access to education and advancing social justice causes.
“Our faculty are thought leaders who shape the law and move us toward a more just world,” she said in a statement. “Our students get real-world training while transforming lives, including through the 20-plus clinics housed in the Loyola Social Justice Law Clinic. And our recent entering classes are among the most diverse we’ve welcomed.”
Prior to her appointment as interim dean, Clark was the associate dean for faculty and co-chair of the law school’s strategic planning committee.
Her research at the school has focused on health care delivery and financing in the U.S., and she currently serves on the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Foundation board of trustees. During her tenure as interim dean, Clark raised more than $6.3 million in scholarship funding.
Clark is recognized for her contributions to health law and bioethics. She is among five authors of the ninth edition of “Health Law,” one of the leading health law casebooks in American law schools, and she has also served as a peer reviewer for numerous publications.
“Her unparalleled expertise, combined with her passion for advancing research and education and her commitment to diversity and inclusion, makes her an exceptional leader to propel our law school into a future of excellence and innovation.” Thomas Poon, Loyola Marymount executive vice president and provost, said in a statement.
Before joining Loyola Law School, Clark worked as an attorney at the Los Angeles office of Sidley Austin LLP.