The dean of Harvard Law School is the head of Harvard Law School. The current dean is John F. Manning—the 13th person to hold the post—who succeeded Martha Minow in 2017.[1]
| Dean of Harvard Law School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Seat | Harvard University |
| First holder | Christopher Columbus Langdell |
| Website | www.law.harvard.edu |
List of deans of Harvard Law School
editFounded in 1817, Harvard Law School is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Since its founding, 13 people have officially served as dean.
| No. | Picture | Name | Took office | Left office |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
|
Christopher Columbus Langdell | 1870 | 1895 |
| 2 | 
|
James Barr Ames | 1895 | 1910 |
| 3 | 
|
Ezra Ripley Thayer | 1910 | 1915 |
| 4 | 
|
Roscoe Pound | 1916 | 1936 |
| 5 | 
|
James M. Landis | 1937 | 1946 |
| 6 | 
|
Erwin Griswold | 1946 | 1967 |
| 7 | Derek Curtis Bok | 1968 | 1971 | |
| 8 | .jpg)
|
Albert Martin Sacks | 1971 | 1981 |
| 9 | James Vorenberg | 1981 | 1989 | |
| 10 | Robert C. Clark | 1989 | 2003 | |
| 11 | 
|
Elena Kagan | 2003 | 2009 |
| 12 | 
|
Martha Minow | 2009 | 2017 |
| 13 |
|
John F. Manning | 2017 | 2024 |
| — | John C. P. Goldberg | 2024 | present (interm) |
Acting deans
editSeveral individuals have also served as acting dean at one time or another. They are: Samuel Williston (1909–10), Austin Wakeman Scott (1915–16), Edward Henry Warren (1921–22), Joseph Warren (1925–26 and 1929), Joseph Henry Beale (1929–30), Edmund Morris Morgan (1936–37, 1942–45), Robert Amory Jr. (1948), Livingston Hall (1959), Andrew James Casner (1967–68), Howell E. Jackson (2009), and John C. P. Goldberg (March 14, 2024 to present).