MORGANTOWN -- A legal scholar and nationally recognized leader in legal education has been named dean of the West Virginia University College of Law.

Joyce E. McConnell, associate dean for academic affairs and endowed professor of law at the college, has accepted the position after an extensive, nationwide search to replace outgoing dean John W. Fisher II.

Only the second woman to serve as dean in the college's 130-year history, McConnell said she "smiled from ear to ear" when university Provost Gerald E. Lang offered her the position.

Although Fisher announced his retirement last May, she said, she did not decide until October to seek the position herself.

"I wanted to really think clearly about the road ahead for me and whether I was the right person at the right time for the institution," she said.

McConnell brings extensive outside experience to the deanship.

She began her teaching career at Georgetown University Law Center, where she received her Master of Law degree in 1990. She earned tenure at the City University of New York School of Law and then taught for one year as a visiting professor at the University of Maryland.

A former WVU law dean invited her to visit and consider teaching at WVU.

"I loved the law school, I thought the students were outstanding, I was very impressed with the faculty," she said. "My husband and I decided that we were ready for a substantial change and to commit ourselves to West Virginia."

A Dean's Influence

McConnell has worked with two deans in her 12 years at WVU and she had compliments for both.

"Teree Foster was very committed to supporting the faculty, to creating a really vibrant curriculum and to increasing the diversity of the faculty," she said.

And the contributions of Fisher, she said, are "beyond significant."

"In the 10 years that he has served, he has committed himself to establishing a very firm financial foundation for improving the law school," she said. "Our new faculty hired during John's tenure as dean are extraordinarily talented, nationally recognized -- and that's because of the dean."

McConnell's combination of outside experience and longevity at WVU promise depth in her own work as dean.

"I have the benefit of knowing what's going on at other institutions," she said. "But because I've been here for 12 years, I have a very good perspective on this institution -- its faculty, its students, the state of West Virginia and the West Virginia bar and judiciary."

Ready for Recognition

McConnell believes the law school's third-tier U.S. News & World Report ranking does not reflect its real value.

"The ranking is quantitative, not qualitative, and doesn't tell the whole story," she said. "It fails to capture the excellence of the education in the classroom; it fails to capture the experiential opportunities for students."

Yet, she said, the ranking matters.

"It affects our ability to attract outstanding students and faculty," she said. A higher ranking "will help our students in terms of job placement and it will also make our alums proud."

McConnell intends to improve the ranking and believes the foundation is mostly laid.

One part of that foundation, she said, is the improvements made to curriculum and faculty under Foster and Fisher.

That includes the addition last year of a faculty member in business and intellectual property -- an opportunity to provide legal services toward the protection of the university's intellectual assets, she said, while training students in an area that will benefit the state.

Another part of that foundation is an initiative to host events on nationally significant issues. Last year's conference on Religion Clauses in the 21st Century, 21st century sports law symposium and a post-Sago look at coal mine safety, she said, all attracted the kind of national attention that improves rankings.

A third part of the foundation is the continued support of Provost Lang and WVU President Mike Garrison, especially important as the law school seeks to enlarge its space.

"President Garrison is saying that he is personally committed, being an alumnus, and Mrs. Garrison is an alum of the law school, too," McConnell said. "I believe that they are ready to commit the kind of resources that we need for the building that we need and to build the reputation that we need."

Rankings are constantly shifting sands, she said, because all schools are trying to move up.

"But I think it would be wonderful to get to the second tier."

Taking the Reins

Provost Lang has high hopes for McConnell, who assumes the deanship July 1.

"She is familiar with the faculty, the alumni and the legacy of the WVU College of Law," he said. "This will give her a substantial advantage as she pursues new successes and manages the challenges."

McConnell plans to begin with adjustments in staffing that will enable improvements in the curriculum.

"One of my goals has been to take the best of traditional legal education and combine it with the best thinking on how a professional skills program can create great lawyers for the 21st century," she said. "Our curriculum can be cutting edge."

She also wants to "get out on the road" to meet with and thank members of the bar and bench for their support.

"I'm honored to lead the law school into the 21st century and to serve the state of West Virginia at its law school in its flagship university," she said. "We take very seriously our obligation to produce the finest lawyers for the state and beyond."