LSU Law Announces Leadership Transition

The LSU and LSU Law communities collectively are expressing their immense gratitude to LSU Law Dean Alena M. Allen for her visionary leadership, steadfast commitment, and remarkable accomplishments as she embarks upon the final academic year of her impressive tenure. Dean Allen is planning to join the faculty of the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center full-time at the conclusion of this academic year.

When the New Orleans-native was appointed to the deanship in the spring of 2023, LSU Law was ranked No. 109 by U.S. News and World Report in its annual ranking of the Best Law Schools. Today, LSU Law proudly stands at No. 84-its highest ranking in more than a decade. This impressive leap reflects a collective effort to elevate LSU Law on the national stage under Dean Allen's leadership.

Among her accomplishments at LSU Law over the past two-plus years, Dean Allen has:

• Increased enrollment of the first-year class to 231 students at the start of the 2025-26 academic year, which represents the largest incoming class in recent history. Importantly, the Class of 2028 is also one of the most academically accomplished in LSU Law history, entering with a median LSAT score of 157 and an undergraduate GPA of 3.72.
• Recruited more than 10 new full-time LSU Law faculty members and promoted six long-time LSU Law faculty members to Professor of Professional Practice.
• Modernized and reformed the first-year LSU Law curriculum for the first time in 40 years, as well as championed opportunities for students by increasing summer public interest fellowship funding to more than $40,000.
• Reorganized the LSU Law alumni dean's advisory council and revitalized the LSU Law Distinguished Alumni Awards program, strengthening ties between LSU Law and its graduates.
• Increased tuition revenue by 50 percent and worked with faculty to fortify the financial stability of the Summer in Lyon Program.
• Oversaw the launch of two new legal clinics at LSU Law that allow students the opportunity to earn course credit while providing legal assistance to underserved Louisianans.

Beyond LSU Law and Baton Rouge, Dean Allen's leadership continues to resonate nationally. Along with serving on the American Bar Association Police Practice Consortium Advisory Committee, she is a member of the U.S. News & World Report Dean's Advisory Committee, the Law School Admission Council Product Strategy and Innovation Committee, and the Planning Committee for the Rule of Law Global Academic Partnership Conference.

Dean Allen's last day as dean will be September 19, 2025, after which she will transition to a full-time faculty role within the Law Center. LSU will solicit nominations for an Interim Dean from the law faculty and staff. The Interim Dean will serve in this capacity until a national search is completed for the Law Center's next permanent dean.