The UI College of Law Dean Search Committee has invited five candidates to campus to interview for the position and participate in a series of town-hall meetings.

The position became vacant when Carolyn Jones, the first female in the position, announced in February she would leave for a full-time teaching and scholarship position.

Jones succeeded William Hines, who served as dean for 28 years — the longest amount of time served by a dean of a law school in the United States.

The chosen candidate will begin in the fall of 2010.

Gregory Mark, the first of the five hopefuls, visited campus Thursday and participated in a forum in which participants could ask questions. Mark serves as a professor of law and associate dean for institutional planning at Rutgers Law School.

Officials will announce the next candidate Nov. 24; all of the meetings will conclude on Dec. 14.

— by Parker Smith