After serving as dean of the University of Iowa College of Law since 2010, Gail Agrawal announced in a message to the law-school community that she plans to step down from her role at the end of the current academic year.

“Serving on this faculty as dean has been a privilege and a joy,” Agrawal wrote. “… I am proud of all the law-school community has accomplished since I joined you in 2010.”

While asking staff and faculty to work “both more efficiently and harder” and “weathering difficult times in legal education,” she wrote, the college continued to find a place for talented scholars as faculty members.

”… Those who became members of our faculty in the early years of my deanship have all achieved tenure and promotion and have already taken on important leadership roles in the law school and the university,” Agrawal wrote.

Despite facing such challenges, Agrawal took note of the college’s success in rankings and its expansion of learning opportunities, including an advanced-standing program for international lawyers and a new master’s program and doctor of juridicial science.

“Our achievements have brought the College of Law national recognition: a ‘Best Value’ law school, a ‘Go to’ law school for the nation’s largest law firms, and a U.S. News ranking as high as 20 and never lower than 29,” she wrote. “The Iowa Law Review achieved a top-10 ranking in its most recent ranking, and the *Journal of Corporation Law* is consistently second among specialty journals.”

The College of Law surpassed its goal to raise $50 million as part of a capital campaign, Agrawal wrote. As part of the UI’s largest capital campaign, For Iowa. Forever More., the UI raised more than $1.9 billion; the College of Law contributed $53 million to that total, according to campaign documents.

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New facilities have been added to the Boyd Law Building, she noted.

“We added a simulcast classroom and as of this month, a new state-of-the art courtroom, and we fulfilled the dream of building a Student Commons in the Boyd Law Building,” she wrote.

The UI will launch a national search for a replacement this fall, UI interim Provost Sue Curry said in an email addressed to UI vice presidents and deans.

“Thanks to Gail’s excellent leadership since 2010, the college is in a very strong position and will no doubt attract many superb candidates for her successor when we launch a national search this fall,” Curry said. “I am deeply grateful for Gail’s contributions to the college and the university, including above all her leadership of the college through a time of significant change and challenge. I look forward to working with her during her final academic year as dean, as she continues to move the college toward its very bright future.”