Vermont Law School President and Dean Marc Mihaly will not renew his contract when it expires in July 2017, he announced this week, but will return to teaching as a permanent member of the VLS faculty.
Mihaly informed the VLS Board of Trustees of his decision at a meeting Friday, May 20, and shared the news with the greater VLS community this week.
"At the most recent Board of Trustees meeting, I reported that I will not seek to renew my five-year contract once it expires in July 2017," Mihaly told VLS alumni and students in an announcement distributed today. "This is purely a personal decision, based largely on my desire to spend more time with my family, including my new grandson. As I near age 71, I look forward to striking a greater work-life balance. That balance includes returning to teaching as a permanent member of the Vermont Law School faculty."
Mihaly spoke with enthusiasm about his plans for his final 13 months as president and dean, and about the future of VLS.
"I am passionately committed to this school—and to you, VLS alumni, and our students, faculty and staff," he said. "We have exciting plans for VLS that I look forward to implementing with my colleagues during the next 13 months that I serve as president and dean. Further, our Board of Trustees—stronger than ever—is committed to ensuring a smooth succession that will enable us to achieve our institutional goals for years to come."
Mihaly has been a part of the VLS community since 2004. Board Chair Christopher Dutton commented on his dedication and next steps for the school.
"My fellow board members and I admire Marc's unwavering commitment, strategic thinking, and innovative plans for Vermont Law School," Dutton said. "He has earned the admiration and respect of VLS students, alumni, faculty and staff. His leadership has seen this institution through challenging times and continues to inspire pioneering ideas for the future. I look forward to working with Marc over the course of the next academic year as we build upon Vermont Law School's reputation for excellence."
A Board of Trustees-led search for Mihaly's successor will begin over the summer. The search committee will include alumni, faculty, staff, and student representatives.
Mihaly, one of the nation's leading environmental law attorneys, was named president and dean of VLS in 2012. He was a visiting professor from 2004-05 and joined the permanent VLS faculty in 2005. He served as acting associate dean of environmental programs and director of the Environmental Law Center (ELC) in 2005-06 and associate dean and director of the ELC from 2007-12. He is an expert in land use, urban planning, and energy law and policy. At VLS, he has taught Land Transactions, Finance and Development; Advanced Land Use Law; Energy Regulation, Markets and the Environment; and Contracts. Mihaly earned his bachelor's degree from Harvard College and, after service in the Peace Corps, received his juris doctor (JD) from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley.
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Vermont Law School, a private, independent institution, is home to the nation's premier environmental law program. VLS offers a Juris Doctor curriculum that emphasizes public service; three Master's Degrees—Master of Environmental Law and Policy, Master of Energy Regulation and Law, and Master of Food and Agriculture Law and Policy; and four post-JD degrees —LLM in American Legal Studies (for foreign-trained lawyers), LLM in Energy Law, LLM in Environmental Law, and LLM in Food and Agriculture Law. The school features innovative experiential programs and is home to the Environmental Law Center, South Royalton Legal Clinic, Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic, Energy Clinic, Food and Agriculture Clinic, and Center for Applied Human Rights. For more information, visit vermontlaw.edu, find us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.