John J. Francis Named Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Washburn University School of Law

Washburn University School of Law is pleased to announce the appointment of John J. Francis as associate dean for academic affairs, effective today. A tenured member of the faculty, Francis has previous administrative experience at the law school. He served as director of the Washburn University School of Law Clinic from 1999 to 2011 and co-director of the Law Clinic from August 2014 to May 2019. 

     His efficacious leadership of the Law Clinic led to the recruitment of outstanding faculty, expanded practice areas, and an increase in national reputation for providing exceptional clinical legal education to students.  

     In 2019, the Topeka Bar Association recognized Francis with the Warren W. Shaw Distinguished Service Award. He previously served on the Executive Committee of the Association of American Law Schools Section on Clinical Legal Education and currently serves on the Kansas Criminal Justice Reform Commission. Francis is a member of the Topeka JUMP network, which fights for justice for marginalized groups by pursuing systematic change through local policy and funding changes in Shawnee County, Kansas.

     "John is an empathic leader who brings administrative experience to the role of academic dean, as well as an abundance of institutional knowledge about Washburn Law gained during his 22 years of service to the law school," said Dean Carla Pratt. "He will continue to teach the first-year Criminal Law course, as well as an upper-level course focused on criminal law." 

     John began his career as a trial attorney with the New York City Legal Aid Society, Criminal Defense Division.  He later entered legal education as a supervising attorney in the clinical program at Hofstra University School of Law in Hempstead, New York.