Zack Buck, Michael Higdon, and Briana Rosenbaum have been named associate deans at the University of Tennessee College of Law.
Lonnie T. Brown, Jr., dean and Elvin E. Overton Distinguished Professor of Law, said these new administrators mark a continuation of the impressive line of exceptionally talented and dedicated leaders who preceded them in these roles.
“I know that the law school could not be in better hands, and I look forward to working closely with Zack, Michael, and Briana in the years ahead to maintain and improve upon our longstanding tradition of excellence,” Brown said.
Buck, professor of law, has been appointed the associate dean for faculty development, a role previously filled by Teri Baxter, the Williford Gragg Distinguished Professor. He specializes in health law, and his scholarship examines the enforcement of laws that affect health and health care in the United States. He is a widely published and noted expert in the health care law field and has received numerous awards recognizing his research and teaching.
“I am excited to take on this important role within the law school and look forward to working with colleagues to enhance and amplify our faculty’s extensive accomplishments in scholarship and teaching,” Buck said.
Higdon, the W. Allen Separk Distinguished Professor of Law, has been named the associate dean for academic affairs. He spent a year as interim associate dean before assuming the permanent position. Higdon has served the College of Law and University in a variety of ways throughout his tenure at UT, including as associate dean for faculty development, director of legal writing, and a faculty fellow in the provost’s office. He is an outstanding classroom teacher and prolific scholar, with his awarding-winning research concentrating on family law, wills and trusts, and legal process.
“What makes the UT College of Law such a special place is our commitment to training practice-ready attorneys,” Higdon said. “I’m honored to be in a position where I can help uphold that tradition.”
Rosenbaum, associate professor of law, is the associate dean for diversity, inclusion, and community engagement, succeeding Professor Michelle Kwon. She teaches civil procedure, evidence, class actions and complex litigation, and jurisprudence. Her scholarship focuses on legal history, procedure, access to justice, and gender studies. A gifted teacher and scholar, Rosenbaum’s work garnered the 2021 Wilkinson Research Professor Award.
“I am a first-generation college and law student. To get where I am today, I benefited from the advice, mentoring, support, and encouragement of many individuals,” Rosenbaum said. “I see this new role as offering a unique opportunity to make a similar impact on others.”