Joseph Grant, holder of the John E. Sullivan Professor of Law endowed professorship, has been named interim dean of Capital University Law School.
Grant, who has been at Capital since 2008, has been associate dean for Administration and Finance since 2023. Prior to that, he was a Law School faculty member, teaching courses such as property, estates and trusts, international business transactions, and business associations.
“Joe believes in the Law School’s commitment to strengthening society and our legal system by doing three things: serving diverse communities well, promoting professionalism and ethics, and furthering discourse and knowledge,” said Capital President Dave Kaufman. “He believes in the Capital community, his professional colleagues, the students, and the life-changing impact of a Capital Law School education to provide quality, accessible, and equitable legal education for all.”
A Duke University School of Law graduate, Grant was a practicing attorney and founded his own law firm in Cleveland. He represents Capital Law School well through appearances as a featured speaker and panelist and through his extensive scholarship, researching and writing in areas such as financial regulation, social and sustainable business entities, international trade, estates and trusts, professional responsibilities and ethics issues, and race and the law.
“I am truly honored to serve as the interim dean of Capital Law School. Our institution’s distinguished history of egalitarian values and groundbreaking leadership in providing opportunities and access to legal education to highly talented students from all backgrounds and stations of life is a source of tremendous pride for our entire community,” Grant said.
“Building on the strong foundation established by my predecessors, I look forward to leveraging the strengths of Capital’s faculty, staff, and administrators to produce practice-ready lawyers and community leaders to influence our world. My immediate priorities include strengthening connections with our alumni network and supporters while ensuring outstanding experiences and outcomes for our students and faculty. We have important work ahead, and I am prepared and eager to serve the Capital law community.”
Grant is taking over from Rey Valencia, who left Capital at the end of June after serving as dean of the Law School since 2020. A national search for a permanent dean will begin in the fall.