Brooklyn Law School Appoints Nicholas W. Allard as New Dean

BROOKLYN, N.Y., March 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Stuart Subotnick, Brooklyn Law School's Chairman of the Board of Trustees, today announced the appointment of Nicholas W. Allard as the eighth Dean of Brooklyn Law School, effective July 1, 2012.

Allard is a prominent attorney and chair of the Lobbying, Political, and Election law practice at Patton Boggs LLP.  His appointment is the culmination of an extensive national search that identified a number of outstanding candidates. "The breadth of Nicholas Allard's experience in the private and public sectors will enable him to make a significant contribution to the Law School," said Subotnick. "His energy, creativity, integrity, and collaborative style have made him exceptionally successful as a practitioner and leader at his firm. He is the ideal dean to continue the Law School's forward momentum."

Allard counsels clients in the fields of telecommunications, information technology, health, energy, environmental law, and higher education. His clients include domestic and international organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies, as well as nonprofit organizations and public and private universities. His work has earned him many honors, including, most recently, a "Visionaries" Award from the National Journal-LegalTimes, recognition as one of D.C.'s "Top Lobbyists" by The Hill, and a "Hermes" Award for his contribution to the study of communications law from Syracuse University College of Law.

Allard has written on a broad range of issues, including Internet law, new media, and privacy. He contributes to and is on the advisory board of several legal publications, including the Hastings Communication and Entertainment Law Journal and the University of Washington School of Law Journal for Law, Technology & Arts. He has taught as an adjunct professor at George Mason University Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, and the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business. Allard is a frequent speaker before professional and academic audiences throughout the United States and abroad. In addition, he has a long history of voluntary service and fundraising work on behalf of the Association of American Rhodes Scholars, the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., and Princeton University.

A graduate of Princeton University, Oxford University (where he was a Rhodes Scholar), and Yale Law School, Allard was the recipient of numerous academic honors. He began his legal career as a law clerk for then Chief U.S. District Judge Robert F. Peckham in San Francisco and for U.S. Circuit Judge Patricia M. Wald in Washington, D.C.  After three years in private practice, he became minority staff counsel to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, where he served as legal counsel to Senator Edward Kennedy.  He then served as chief of staff to Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.  Prior to joining Patton Boggs, he was a partner at Latham & Watkins for over a decade, and chaired that firm's Government Relations Group.

"Nick's talents and experience will be great assets in helping us prepare the next generation of Brooklyn Law School lawyers," said President Joan G. Wexler. "He will be an inspirational leader."

"I can't imagine a more exciting opportunity for me, personally," said Allard. "Joan Wexler, the outstanding faculty, administration, students, and the School's loyal alumni have created a platform that has placed the Law School at the forefront of innovation in legal education. Brooklyn Law School's traditions, what it is already doing, are where law schools will be heading in the future."

Now celebrating its 112th year in legal education, Brooklyn Law School is a vibrant intellectual community emphasizing teaching excellence, cutting-edge scholarship, and an innovative academic program designed to prepare students for public service, business, and private practice, nationwide and across the globe. This year's entering class was composed of highly-credentialed graduates of the nation's most distinguished colleges and universities.  The School's students come from coast to coast and around the world.  More than half of them reside in the school's residence halls, forging an important sense of community and fellowship in the heart of one of the world's most exciting urban neighborhoods. 

Brooklyn Law School faculty members have earned national and international reputations in diverse fields, including civil liberties, intellectual property, products liability, international human rights, criminal law, health law, and domestic and international business law. The Law School's curriculum combines traditional course offerings and teaching methodologies with innovative professional skills training courses.  Its nationally acclaimed clinics take full advantage of the School's ideal location within blocks of many of the busiest courts and government agencies in the nation. 

Brooklyn Law School's academic centers of excellence support research, scholarship, and training in a wide range of fields and disciplines, including international business law, health law, corporate regulation, and law, language and cognition.

SOURCE Brooklyn Law School