May It Please the Campus: The Rise of the Lawyer as College President
4.26.2023
There is a growing trend of more college and university administrations being led by attorneys. It’s the subject of a new book by Touro Law professor Patricia Salkin, May It Please the Campus: Lawyers Leading Higher Education. She discussed her book and its research with NYSBA General Counsel and host of the Miranda Warnings podcast David Miranda.
Salkin says there are many factors leading to this trend including lawyers understanding how to manage regulations and changing economic conditions.
“Right now, higher education is under siege,” she says. “There are people questioning the value proposition of higher education. There are economic and fiscal challenges that are causing a lot of schools to merge and consolidate, kind of like mergers and acquisitions. There are also issues of increased regulation and free speech on campus just to name a few.”
Salkin says attorney skills of problem solving and negotiation are attractive to college and university administrators.
“Lawyers are great communicators because lawyers have to frame their issue to a jury and have to convince a judge and jury about what they need in order to advocate for their client. And that’s no different than advocating for your campus or your university.”
You can hear the full episode including a history of the influence of lawyers on higher education in America at the link below.
