Appointment of Russell Korobkin as Interim Dean of the UCLA School of Law

Dear UCLA School of Law Community:

In light of Dean Jennifer Mnookin’s upcoming departure, I am pleased to announce that Russell Korobkin — UCLA Law’s vice dean for graduate and professional education and the Richard C. Maxwell Distinguished Professor of Law — has agreed to serve as interim dean of UCLA Law. He will take up the deanship on June 13 and serve for approximately one year as we complete the search for the next permanent dean.

A member of our faculty since 2001, Professor Korobkin has served on the senior leadership team at UCLA Law for the past seven years. In that time, he has played a central role in aspects of school administration including budget management, curriculum development, faculty hiring and admissions. As vice dean for graduate and professional education since 2019, he has overseen UCLA Law programs and professional offerings while working closely with graduate students to assess their needs and career pathways. Before that, from 2014 to 2019, he served as vice dean for academic and institutional affairs, with responsibility for the overall development and implementation of the law school’s programs and services.

Aside from his administrative roles, Professor Korobkin is a celebrated scholar of negotiation with broader expertise in behavioral law and economics, contract law and health care law.

Throughout his career, Professor Korobkin has demonstrated a deep commitment to educating and elevating the next generation of lawyers and legal scholars. He is highly regarded for his energy and enthusiasm, his collaborative leadership style and his fair-minded approach to problem solving. Chancellor Block and I are confident that he will be a capable steward for our law school during this period of transition.

Please join me in thanking Professor Korobkin for his service and wishing him the best in his new role.

Sincerely,

Michael S. Levine
Interim Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost