I am delighted to announce that Provost Mearns and I have appointed Craig M. Boise as the 14th Dean of the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. With an impressive academic and administrative background, Craig has published extensively in the areas of money laundering and offshore banking practices. As a former practicing attorney, he brings a unique blend of academic and practical experience to the school.

Craig is currently professor of law at DePaul University in Chicago, where he is also director of the Graduate Tax Program. Before joining DePaul in 2009, he was associate professor of law at Case Western Reserve University.

Craig's educational record is outstanding. He received his law degree from the University of Chicago and a master of law in tax from New York University. Craig graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in political science from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Boise has practiced law with national and international law firms in New York, Cleveland and Kansas City. In Cleveland, he was a senior tax associate with Thompson Hine LLP. He has been actively involved in a variety of civic and charitable activities, and I know his relationships will strengthen our ties with the legal and civic community.

Cleveland-Marshall has a tradition of diversity that dates back nearly a century. The provost and I are proud that Craig will be the first African-American dean of our law school.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank Phyllis Crocker for serving as interim dean during the search process. She has worked admirably to maintain the high standards of our law school.

Please join me and the provost in extending a warm welcome to Craig, who joins the University on July 1.