October 8 , 2007
Alan Hancock
NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5385
hancocka@nova.edu
Joseph D. Harbaugh Resigns as Dean of Nova Southeastern University’s Law School
After 21 years as a dean, Harbaugh moving to next phase of his career
FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. – Joseph D. Harbaugh, dean of the Shepard Broad Law Center at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) in Fort Lauderdale, has announced that he will step down from his position on June 30, 2008.
Harbaugh became dean at NSU’s law school in July 1995 after serving in the same capacity at the University of Richmond (Va.) School of Law. He has also served as a member of the law faculties at the University of Connecticut and Duke, Temple, Georgetown, and American Universities. He plans to remain on the NSU faculty after a year-long sabbatical.
“Dean Harbaugh’s decision leaves me with mixed emotions,” said NSU President Ray Ferrero, Jr. “He is a friend and colleague and has been an important part of my administration. In his 21st consecutive year as a law school dean, 12-plus at NSU, he is probably the longest serving law school dean in the United States. He has brought many innovative programs to the Law Center and he will be missed. On the other hand, I am happy he is returning to a faculty position. Future NSU law students will benefit from his teaching and mentoring. I am already thinking of ways to keep him busy after he steps down as dean.”
A true innovator, Dean Harbaugh came to NSU determined to lead legal education in the use of computer technology. The Law Center was subsequently twice named “the most wired law school in the nation” by National Jurist magazine. Under his leadership, the Law Center faculty and administration implemented the online Alternative Admission Model Program for Legal Education (AAMPLE®), which offers determined individuals whose admission was denied based on traditional criteria an opportunity to earn a place in the law school classroom. The evening law program at NSU was also initiated to cater to working professionals.
Dean Harbaugh realized early on that NSU J.D. graduates needed to be multilingual and licensed in multiple jurisdictions in order to follow their clients in the global arena, so he negotiated dual-degree partnerships with universities in Barcelona, Venice, Rome and Prague. Recognizing the need for legal education across the professions, he proposed, and the faculty approved, online Master of Science degree programs in Health Law, Employment Law, and Education Law.
With the support of the Leo Goodwin Foundation, Inc., Harbaugh initiated the annual Goodwin Symposium, bringing national and international distinguished legal scholars and political leaders to the Law Center to interact with students, faculty, and alumni on forward-thinking topics. A most recent achievement, Harbaugh and the law faculty collaborated in the creation of the Critical Skills Program (CSP) to assist students in developing and mastering those skills central to success in law school, passing the bar, and practicing law.
Dean Harbaugh has served in a wide range of legal education leadership positions, including the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) Executive Committee, the Council of the American Bar Association (ABA) Section on Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, as Chair, Board of Directors of Access Group, Inc., legal education’s non-profit student loan program, and for 17 years as the AALS Representative in the ABA House of Delegates.
William R. Rakes, immediate past chair of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admission to the Bar, stated, “I worked with Joe extensively in the early ‘90s when I was president of the Virginia State Bar and during the past year when I was chair of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. Dean Harbaugh is an energetic and creative force in legal education. I hope he will continue to contribute both at the law school and national levels. He understands the importance of law schools working with the practicing bar and bar associations to improve the profession. I am grateful to him for all of his efforts.”
Richard A. Matasar, dean of New York Law School, former dean of the University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law, and a member of the Executive Committee of the American Law Deans Association commented, “Joe Harbaugh has been one of the giants in legal education for the last 20 years. His leadership at NSU has been extraordinary. Those who have come to know him and the law school will miss his leadership greatly but look forward to observing the next phase of his career.”
According to Daniel R. Lau, president and chief executive officer of Access Group, a leading nonprofit student loan provider, “Joe’s commitment to legal education and to ensuring that students have access to affordable education financing is unsurpassed. More than 20 years ago, at a time when loans for law students were far less available than they are today, he was instrumental in the creation of our loan program, and as a member of Access Group’s board of directors since 1997, he has continued to serve as an advocate for students and for affordable education financing. Joe has been a leader in raising awareness about growing student loan indebtedness and has worked tirelessly to educate his students about responsible borrowing and debt management.”
A leader in the clinical education movement, Harbaugh is the co-author of a standard clinical text, Interviewing, Counseling and Negotiating: Skills for Effective Representation, and a best-selling instructional CD, The Fundamentals of Negotiation. As director of the Practising Law Institute’s Negotiation Project, he has shared his negotiation expertise with lawyers, business people and government officials, and numbers among his clients half of the National Law Journal’s Top-100 firms and dozens of Fortune 100 corporations.
Victor J. Rubino, President of the Practising Law Institute (PLI), commented, "I have had the rare pleasure of knowing Dean Harbaugh since the early 1970s and have witnessed, first hand in many cases, his incredible skills and passion for the task at hand. When I was treasurer of the Council on Legal Education for Professional Responsibility (CLEPR) Foundation, the mission of which was to encourage law schools to adopt clinical legal education, Joe was one of a handful of ‘first movers’ that helped shape this fundamental change in legal education. When I became executive director of PLI, I turned to Joe to develop skills training courses and materials for our CLE curriculum. When I decided PLI needed to develop in-house training in law firms and corporate law departments, I again asked Joe to lead our efforts. He has been one of a handful of ‘trusted advisors.’ All of Joe’s friends and colleagues are aware of the indefatigable drive, energy, and enthusiasm he brings to all aspects of his life. I wish him well and cannot wait to observe his next career.”
A national search will be conducted for Harbaugh’s successor.
