Dean Concannon to Return to Full-time Teaching
James M. Concannon, dean of the Washburn University School of Law since 1988, has announced he will return to full-time teaching duties effective July 1, 2001.
"This is a demanding position if done with the intensity it requires," Concannon said. "Like other institutions, we need to benefit periodically from a fresh perspective and new initiatives. We will celebrate Washburn Law School's centennial in September 2003, and I want my successor to be able to take maximum advantage of the opportunity the centennial will provide to mobilize our alumni, students and faculty for the law school's next century of leadership in legal education."
Jerry B. Farley, president of Washburn University, praised Concannon's accomplishments, noting he accepted the dean's decision with great regret.
"He deserves recognition for his leadership and for the service he has given to the School of Law," Farley said.
Concannon received a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas and a juris doctorate from the University of Kansas School of Law. He was admitted to the Kansas Bar in 1971 and to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1980. From 1971 to 1973, Concannon served as research attorney for Justice Alex Fromme of the Kansas Supreme Court, first becoming affiliated with the Washburn University School of Law as a lecturer in 1972. Positions at Washburn have included assistant professor (1973-76), associate professor (1976-81) and professor (1981-present). For his work in the classroom, he was named the 1976-77 William O. Douglas Professor of the Year.
Concannon's publication activities have included co-reporter of Final Report of the Kansas Citizens Justice Initiative (1999) as well as authoring chapters in various editions of the Annual Survey of Kansas Law (Kansas Bar Association) and the 1999 Kansas Judges Manual 3d (Kansas Office of Judicial Administration). He was also senior contributing editor of Evidence in America: The Federal Rules in the States (Michie 1987).
He was the 1983 recipient of the President's Outstanding Service Award from the Kansas Bar Association and has served as Kansas Delegate for the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws since 1998. A Fellow of the American Bar Foundation since 1993, Concannon also serves of Executive Secretary of the Hon. Sam A. Crow American Inn of Court. In 1997 he received the Kansas Supreme Court Award for Contributions to the Judiciary of the State of Kansas.
During his years as dean, Concannon was a central force in numerous accomplishments. Five new certificate programs were developed in the School of Law and the web site WashLaw was established, which was rated by Law Library Journal as the most comprehensive and influential source of legal information on the Internet. During his leadership, National Jurist rated the Washburn University School of Law second in overall student satisfaction and first in satisfaction with faculty and facilities, following a survey of 20,000 law students at 170 schools.
In the history of the Washburn University School of Law, only one person, Harry K. Allen, has served more years as dean than Concannon, holding the position from 1922 to 1937. Only nine current deans of U.S. law schools have served longer in their positions, Concannon noted.
