In recognition of an outstanding tenure that was defined by significant growth in academic impact, record fundraising, and a strong boost in national prestige, former UCLA School of Law dean Jennifer Mnookin has been honored with a newly created faculty chair in her name.

The Jennifer Mnookin Chair in Law was founded with the support of 33 donors, including longstanding supporters of the law school, faculty, friends, and other colleagues. It celebrates Mnookin, a leading evidence scholar and longtime member of the UCLA Law faculty who served as the law school’s dean from 2015 to 2022.

Since then, Mnookin has been the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Columbia University recently announced that she will serve as its next president, starting in July.

“Dean Emerita Mnookin elevated UCLA Law in every respect, with a focus on access and excellence,” says Dean Michael Waterstone, who collaborated with Mnookin for years when both of them worked at different Los Angeles law schools. He succeeded her as dean.

“Under her leadership, UCLA Law enhanced the quality and diversity of the faculty; saw an increase in the credentials and diversity of the student body; set records for philanthropic support; built and expanded impactful, innovative programs in several disciplines; and achieved its highest-ever rankings,” Waterstone says. “Throughout her tenure, she showed a steadfast commitment to connecting with and supporting students, staff, faculty, and friends, doing as much as possible to sustain the community, especially during the pandemic.”

On Feb. 12, more than 100 of UCLA Law’s faculty, staff, and most treasured donors and friends gathered in the law school’s library tower to toast the founding of the chair and unveil Mnookin’s official portrait, which hangs alongside those of other former deans.

Speakers included Waterstone, UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk, distinguished alumnus Ken Ziffren ’65, Professor Joanna Schwartz, and Dean Emeritus Michael Schill.

Frenk spoke of his longtime relationship with Mnookin as fellow university administrators. He also emphasized the importance of faculty chairs, many of which Mnookin helped create as dean. “This is a very special day in the life of UCLA because it honors the excellence that we pursue as people devoted to the mission of the university,” he said. “Chairs are not pieces of furniture in academia. They are a symbol of excellence in the pursuit of truth.”

Ziffren and Schwartz shared warm memories of their relationships with Mnookin during her time at UCLA Law, when she served in many different positions, from law professor to vice dean to dean. “In each of these capacities, she has been an absolute force of nature,” said Schwartz, who zeroed in on Mnookin’s “boundless energy,” “endless intellectual curiosity and capacity,” “commitment to community,” and knack for tackling administrative issues of all sorts.

Schill, who completed his UCLA Law deanship in 2009 and was later the president of the University of Oregon and Northwestern University, stayed close to Mnookin through their respective tenures as university heads. He spoke of his ongoing pride in having hired Mnookin at UCLA Law.

“Jennifer, as you’ve all heard, is the essence of an intellectual leader. She is the sort of academic I envy,” he said, recalling how she engaged in probing conversations at faculty colloquia. “She took seriously the different disciplines and approaches – intellectual, theoretical, methodological – and she treated them with respect. And that is more important in today’s world than ever before.”

The event concluded with a few words from Mnookin, who noted that returning to UCLA Law felt much like coming home. “This place,” she said, “really did shape the scholar and leader that I am.”

She elaborated by offering her perspective on the “defining aspects” of UCLA Law and their importance. “This is the place where I learned about what it could look like to be in an academic community where people care deeply about ideas, and deeply about excellence – and also deeply about each other.”