For the second time in the past month, Quinnipiac University Provost Debra Liebowitz announced the appointment of a new dean. 

On Feb. 13, Liebowitz named Brian Gallini, dean and professor of law at Willamette University, to succeed Jennifer Brown as dean of the School of Law. Brown will step down on June 30 after more than a decade in the role to focus on teaching and research. 

Gallini — a criminal law scholar with focus on law enforcement discretion issues in the context of interrogation methods, consent searches and profiling — will also join the school as a tenured professor. 

“Brian’s wealth of experience, commitment to excellence, and passion for advancing the profession will inspire the next generation of legal advocates, scholars, and changemakers here at Quinnipiac,” Liebowitz wrote in a Feb. 13 email to the Quinnipiac community. 

Various nations’ top law journals, such as the Washington Law Review and Hastings Law Journal have published Gallini’s work, per Liebowitz’s email. 

His commentary has appeared in worldwide media outlets, such as ABC News, the Associated Press, the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal, according to the press release. 

He is a two-time winner of the Southeastern Association of Law School Call-for-Papers competition and a 2017 Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award winner. 

Gallini has “deep roots in the Northeast” and has “long appreciated Quinnipiac’s commitment to innovation and experiential learning from afar,” according to the press release. 

He also said he was drawn to Quinnipiac for its wide portfolio of programs, from nursing, communications and law schools, to its athletics and alumni engagement, per the Hartford Business Journal. 

Since Gallini joined Willamette University in 2020, its law school recruited the largest and most academically well-credentialed class in more than a decade and has committed itself to critically evaluating its approach to diversity, equity and inclusion, according to his university profile. 

Under his leadership, Willamette’s College of Law had also recruited the largest faculty cohort in years, successfully building out and expanding the experiential curriculum. 

Before his deanship, Gallini spent 12 years as a professor of law at the University of Arkansas and as the head coach of the men’s ice hockey team. Currently, he coaches his son’s youth team. 

He is also the author of “Investigative Criminal Procedure: Inside This Century’s Most (In)Famous Cases,” published last year. 

The experienced law professional holds a master’s degree from Temple University and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Russian studies from the College of the Holy Cross. 

“Gallini’s creative and student-centered approach to leadership will further solidify the school’s reputation as a premier institution for legal education and innovation,” Liebowitz wrote.