Hall of Fame 2025: Dean Darby Dickerson

A man in a pale suit and a woman wearing a green velvet suit jacket hold a plaque.
Law Professor Robert Bickel and former Stetson Law Dean Darby Dickerson

Beloved former Dean Darby Dickerson’s impact is visible across campus and reflected in the College’s nation-leading programs.

From helping solidify the College’s status as a national leader in legal writing to fostering a relationship with Dolly and Homer Hand, namesakes of the Dolly and Homer Hand Library, her work was transformative during her time as dean from 2005 through 2011. She also hired celebrated faculty members who still teach today.

To say Dickerson was beloved by students is an understatement. She is regularly remembered fondly by those who shared time with her at Stetson and is celebrated by the greater legal education community.

Four women in professional dress smile at the camera in front of a fireplace.
Left to right: Law Professor Emerita Ann Piccard, Law Professor Stephanie Vaughan, Dean Darby Dickerson, Law Professor Kelly Feeley.

For her profound impact on the College of Law and the legal profession itself, she is now a member of the Stetson Law Hall of Fame. She was officially inducted during a ceremony that took place November 1, 2025 at the Don CeSar on St. Pete Beach, Florida.

“When I talk with alumni about Darby, their eyes light up,” said Stetson Law Dean D. Benjamin Barros. “Her national reputation is stellar. She was president of the Association of American Law Schools. She is one of the best-known legal-writing scholars in the United States. She’s a rockstar in legal education.”

Dickerson is now a member of the Stetson Law Hall of Fame.

A prolific jurist and scholar

Dickerson joined the Stetson Law faculty in 1995 after practicing at Lock Liddell & Sapp, LLP and serving as a law clerk for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

At Stetson, she held many administrative roles, including vice dean, director of legal research & writing, moot court board director, and others. She has taught Legal Research and Writing, Contract Drafting and Review, Torts, ADR, Arbitration, and Election Law. She has supervised various externships, advised law reviews, and coached moot court boards and teams.

Following her time at Stetson, she served as dean at Texas Tech University School of Law, dean/CEO of The John Marshall Law (which she helped to merge into the University of Illinois Chicago), and dean at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. She is now dean and president at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, California.

A woman in a beige jacket sits next to a man in a black suit on a stage.
Former Stetson Law Dean Darby Dickerson talks with then-US Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer in 2019.

A lasting legacy

In addition to her many contributions as dean, Dickerson has also personally supported the college. She has made gifts to Stetson Law Greatest Needs, the Edward D. Foreman Most Distinguished Student Award, and the Priscilla and Lawrence Adams Scholarship.

Upon her departure from Stetson, the Stetson Lawyers Alumni Association established the Dean Darby Dickerson SLAAC Scholarship Endowment to honor her “devotion to leadership, writing, advocacy, love for higher education and pursuit of other scholarly endeavors.”

Post date: today

Media contact: Kate Bradshaw
[email protected] | 727-430-1580
«