By Tyler White | Staff Writer
Jeremy Counseller, the Abner V. McCall Chair of Evidence Law at Baylor, has been appointed as the new dean of Baylor Law School, effective July 1, 2024.
Sandeep Mazumder, dean of the Hankamer School of Business and chair of the search committee, said it was going to be difficult to replace Brad Toben, who has been the dean of Baylor Law School since 1991. He said the nationwide search was intended to find someone who reflects the values of the university, and Counseller is a great man of faith who does just that.
“He definitely had the benefit of growing with the law school and saying, ‘Here are the things that have really worked, but here’s some things that we need to improve,’” Mazumder said. “And he did a really good job of articulating that vision.”
As Counseller prepares to transition positions next year, he said he wants to be humble and learn all the aspects of the law school — although he has been a part of the faculty for decades.
“Something that’s important for me to do in the coming months is really to be a learner — to become a student of every aspect of the university and the law school and where those things connect,” Counseller said.
Counseller said this appointment is the most significant step in his professional life. He said he was the first person in his family to graduate from college and attended Baylor Law School shortly after, so he is grateful for the opportunity.
“To have the opportunity to serve the law school that served me is just — I struggle to even articulate what that means to me,” Counseller said. “It’s just a tremendous privilege.”
As Counseller takes on this role, he said it’s important for him to listen to the experiences of students at the law school to be able to learn how to improve them.
“I was a Baylor Law student,” Counseller said. “I was a Baylor University student as well. And so ensuring that not only do [all Baylor students] have a good experience day to day — that they enjoy being here, that they’re challenged being here — but also that they thrive being here is really, really important to strike that balance between challenging students but also making sure that they thrive. And I think to do that, you need to listen to them.”
In his current position at Baylor Law School, Counseller teaches students in one of their first courses and in their last course in the program. He said this gives him a unique vantage point to see how the law school transforms them throughout the years of study.
“I think it has made me committed to preserving that excellence,” Counseller said. “It transformed me, and then when you see how it can transform other students, you can’t walk away from that commitment. So it’s really made me dedicated to preserving that excellence.”
Mazumder said selecting a dean is important because, although they are over one school in particular, they impact the university as a whole.
“These are the future leaders of the university,” Mazumder said. “If we don’t have the right people leading the university, that’s not good for any of us. We need to make sure we have the right people leading, and Jeremy’s the right person for Baylor Law.”
