Following a nationwide search led by a search committee and assisted by Issacson | Miller Executive Search, Stetson University has selected Benjamin Barros as the next dean of its College of Law.

Barros starts his role as the new dean on July 1.

A Proven Leader

Barros joins Stetson Law from the University of Toledo College of Law, where he has been dean since 2015. During his time as dean, Toledo Law saw significant improvement in enrollment, bar success, graduate employment and fundraising.

Barros has been a leader in the legal community, serving two terms as a member of the Association of American Law Schools (AALSA) Executive Committee and serving as chair of the Supreme Court Task Force on the Ohio Bar Exam. He is a Property Law expert and has authored a popular Property textbook. He is a former chair of the AALSA Section on Property Law and a former president of the Association for Law, Property, and Society.

Practical Experience and Education

Before joining the legal academy, Barros practiced as a litigator at two prominent firms in New York City.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Colgate University, a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Maryland and a law degree from Fordham University School of Law, as a member of Order of the Coif.

“I’m incredibly excited to join Stetson Law,” says Barros. “Stetson Law has earned a national reputation for excellence in advocacy, legal writing and elder law, among other areas of excellence, and I look forward to working with all members of the Stetson Law community to build on these existing strengths towards an exciting and bright future.”

Welcoming a New Campus Leader

Members of the search committee are enthusiastic to have a leader with deep decanal experience, a collaborative spirit and a clear focus on student excellence join the college.

Search committee co-chairs Ellen Podgor (Stetson’s Gary R. Trombley Family White-Collar Crime Research Professor of Law) and Greg Coleman (chair of the Board of Overseers, partner at Critton Luttier Coleman and past-president of The Florida Bar) extend their thanks to all who contributed to this extraordinary outcome. They point to a partnership between the new dean and Stetson’s faculty, staff and students that will lead the university to “even stronger successes in the future.” 

– Stetson University College of Law