{"id":58485,"date":"2024-10-17T14:49:08","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T19:49:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mitchellhamline.edu\/news\/?p=58485"},"modified":"2024-11-05T14:42:35","modified_gmt":"2024-11-05T20:42:35","slug":"camille-davidson-installed-as-third-president-and-dean-of-mitchell-hamline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mitchellhamline.edu\/news\/2024\/10\/17\/camille-davidson-installed-as-third-president-and-dean-of-mitchell-hamline\/","title":{"rendered":"Camille Davidson installed as third president and dean of Mitchell Hamline"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Camille Davidson beams as president and dean of Mitchell Hamline School of Law.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cToday we celebrate Mitchell Hamline.\u201d<\/p>\n

Camille Davidson beamed saying these words as the newly installed president and dean of Mitchell Hamline School of Law, presidential medallion glinting against her robes as she delivered her inaugural remarks. On Wednesday, Oct. 16, Davidson\u2019s installation ceremony at the Landmark Center in St. Paul celebrated the rich legacy of Mitchell Hamline while looking toward its next chapter under Davidson\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n

Each speaker of the night recognized the essential role of Mitchell Hamline in Minnesota\u2019s legal landscape, including Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, who gave the keynote address.<\/p>\n

\u201cMitchell Hamline is a special place. It is a jewel in our legal community, and that\u2019s because it is more than an institution of learning. It is a beacon of hope and opportunity in Minnesota\u2019s legal community,\u201d Hudson said. \u201cIt is a place where students are molded into advocates for justice, and a place that has consistently been on the cutting edge of curricular reform and one that is focused on preparing its graduates for the current and future challenges of the legal profession.\u201d<\/p>\n

The school\u2019s reputation for innovation and forward-thinking has gained national renown. In her role as executive director and CEO of the Association of American Law Schools, Kellye Testy works with the deans of all law schools across the country, and Mitchell Hamline stands out.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis school has been a model for all of us in legal education for demonstrating particularly that excellence is not dependent on any one delivery mode for legal education but can be widely available to students in a variety of modes that meet their diverse learning needs. Certainly during the pandemic especially, we were all in the debt of this law school to help us all learn to adjust,\u201d Testy said, lauding the blended-learning program Mitchell Hamline implemented in 2015, the first ABA-approved law school to offer an online\/on-campus J.D. \u201cAs distinguished as your history has been\u2014and it is\u2014your future is even brighter, because tonight you install, as your president and dean, one of the most respected leaders in legal education, Camille Davidson.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prior to Mitchell Hamline, Davidson served as dean and professor of law at Southern Illinois University Simmons Law School, where she secured the largest gift in the university’s history. She also spent 11 years as a professor and administrator at Charlotte School of Law and Wake Forest University School of Law and worked as an attorney for 14 years, in both the public and private sectors. She took over as president and dean at Mitchell Hamline on July 1 from Jim Hilbert, the school\u2019s interim leader.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo how does a Mississippi native end up in Minnesota?\u201d Davidson asked, to laughter from the audience. \u201cMy answer quite simply has been: Mitchell Hamline School of Law represents all that I believe the study of law should be. A perfect blend of theory and practice, along with multiple pathways to provide opportunity and access to the profession. The only way to true access to justice is to train people to serve their communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

“Mitchell Hamline School of Law represents all that I believe the study of law should be.”<\/p>\n

\u2014Camille Davidson<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This mission has been a core part of Mitchell Hamline since its roots with the founding of St. Paul College of Law in 1900. As a night school with tuition set at $60, this first predecessor school allowed working individuals to pursue the study of law at a time when law school was reserved for only the most elite individuals, Davidson said. Through combinations and name changes, Mitchell Hamline\u2019s commitment to providing opportunities to those who may not have had them otherwise has grown, graduating many legal trailblazers along the way.<\/p>\n

The accomplishments of Mitchell Hamline\u2019s alumni demonstrate a principle that Chief Justice Hudson holds dear\u2014that the law is not just a profession, but a noble calling to serve others.<\/p>\n

\u201cMitchell Hamline has been and continues to be a critical institution for training the leaders who uphold our justice system not only in Minnesota but across the country,\u201d she said. \u201cIts graduates are serving in law firms, public offices, and nonprofit organizations, and they are deeply embedded in the fabric of our state\u2019s legal community. This law school has shaped countless advocates for justice who have gone on to make a profound difference in our legal system.<\/p>\n

\u201cSimply put: When Mitchell Hamline thrives, Minnesota\u2019s justice system thrives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mitchell Hamline stands on the legacy of almost 125 years, and Davidson said she is prepared to lead the institution into a bright and thriving future. \u201cJoin me today,\u201d she said at the conclusion of her remarks, \u201cin toasting Mitchell Hamline as we shine our light in Minnesota and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

Davidson is the third president and dean of Mitchell Hamline, which was formed in 2015 with the combination of William Mitchell College of Law and Hamline University School of Law. She is the first Black woman to hold these roles at the school or any of its predecessor institutions. Mark Gordon served as president and dean of Mitchell Hamline from 2015 to 2019, and Anthony Niedwiecki led the school from 2020 to 2023.<\/p>\n

The installation ceremony also featured musical selections from Sounds of Blackness and remarks by community leaders including Greg Buck \u201987, chair of the Mitchell Hamline board of trustees; Melvin Carter, mayor of the City of St. Paul; Samuel Edmunds \u201907, president of the Minnesota State Bar Association; and video remarks from U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.<\/p>\n\n\t\t