Jennifer Reynolds takes the helm as dean of the UO School of Law
An expert on alternative dispute resolution, she has been interim dean since last year
Jennifer W. Reynolds, professor of law and interim dean at the University of Oregon School of Law, has been selected as the new permanent dean and Dave Frohnmayer Chair in Leadership and Law. Her appointment was effective March 17.
"The Oregon Law community is bold and creative,” Reynolds said. “I am inspired by the law school’s commitment to academic excellence and rigorous legal education within our broader mission of public service to the state, the nation and beyond. It is my honor to serve in this role, and I will dedicate myself to working with all our partners, inside and outside the law school, as we train the next generation of lawyers and leaders.”
Over her 16 years at the School of Law, Reynolds has served in several leadership roles, including interim dean, interim university ombudsperson, associate dean for faculty research and programs, associate dean of academic affairs, and faculty director for Oregon’s nationally recognized, award-winning Appropriate Dispute Resolution Center.
Throughout her career, Reynolds has served several constituencies, most notably students, fellow law professors, national colleagues, the Oregon State Bar and administrative staff. As a law professor and scholar, Reynolds is a teacher and national expert in dispute resolution, civil procedure and conflict of laws.
She has served as national chair of the alternative dispute resolution section of the Association of American Law Schools. She has authored or co-authored numerous articles, casebooks, essays, reviews, book chapters and publications and is the co-editor of the popular “Star Wars and Conflict Resolution” series. She recently was invited to join “Civil Procedure: A Coursebook,” one of the most prominent and well-regarded civil procedure casebooks in the country.
Reynolds was named the Orlando John and Marian H. Hollis endowed Professor of Law in 2023. She has been recognized with both the Hollis and Ersted Oregon Law teaching awards, and she has been elected six times by graduating third-year students to serve as commencement marshal.
During her time as interim dean, Reynolds implemented strategies to improve law school operations, increase transparency, promote collaboration, further integration with university and external partners, and ensure financial stability. She also has created innovative programs to enhance the law school’s connection to alumni, such as a new series of events bringing current law professors and students together with UO alumni to discuss current legal scholarship developments in emerging issues around the country. Reynolds also has established a focus on efforts to increase financial support for students so they can pursue their dream legal careers.
“Jen has demonstrated an excellent solutions-oriented and values-enacted approach to leadership since she became interim dean last April, with a clear focus on community building, collaboration and transparency,” UO Provost and Senior Vice President Christopher P. Long said. “The feedback we received during the extensive search process repeatedly returned to the idea that Jen will bring a deep and nuanced understanding of Oregon Law — its strengths, culture and community — to her role as dean. She provides a compelling and clear vision that will shape the law school’s new strategic plan in alignment with our Oregon Rising goals.”
Reynolds graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School, serving as a researcher for Wright & Miller’s “Federal Practice and Procedure,” a research fellow and teaching assistant at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, and an editor of the Harvard Law Review.
She worked in information technology at the University of Texas at Austin, was an associate at the Atlanta-based Dow Lohnes PLLC, and served as a visiting associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Law and as a visiting professor at Harvard Law School. She has a master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago.
She succeeds Dean Marcilynn Burke, who served from 2017 to 2024.