Loyola Law School Dean David W. Burcham Named Provost of Loyola Marymount University

Loyola Law School Dean David W. Burcham Named Provost of Loyola Marymount
University

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- After eight years at
Loyola Law School Los Angeles as the Fritz B. Burns dean and senior vice
president, David W. Burcham was named today to the newly created position of
executive vice president and provost of Loyola Marymount University. Victor J.
Gold, a veteran law professor and a former associate dean, was named interim
dean and senior vice president. A national search for a permanent dean will
begin immediately.
As provost, Burcham will oversee all aspects of LMU's internal operations.
That encompasses 400-plus faculty and several thousand students spread out
over seven colleges and schools, including the law school. In his new
position, Burcham vows to make the same commitment to the classroom and
scholarly productivity that he did at the law school. "I view LMU's faculty
and students as its greatest strengths and most important assets," Burcham
said.
About David W. Burcham
Burcham ushered in a new era of educational excellence during his tenure
at Loyola Law School. Determined to give students a broad range of experience,
Burcham oversaw the launch of a host of innovative programs, including the
Business Law Practicum, the Center for Juvenile Law & Policy, the LLM in
International Legal Practice, the London IP Institute, the Tax LLM program and
other vital initiatives. The law school's practical training programs excelled
under Burcham's stewardship, during which time the Byrne Trial Advocacy Team
won five national championships and several regional competitions. He also
oversaw the creation of the National Civil Trial Competition, one of the
country's preeminent mock trial events.
Burcham worked to enhance the size and prestige of the law school faculty,
increasing the number of full-time professors by almost 15 percent -- from 65
in 2000 to 74 in 2007. Under his leadership, the faculty collectively produced
more than 400 works of scholarship. Burcham also worked with professors to
establish programs in their core areas of expertise, including the Center for
the Study of Law & Genocide, the Civil Justice Program, the Distinguished
William J. Landers Lecture on Prosecutorial Ethics, the Fidler Institute on
Criminal Justice, the IP Special Focus Series, the Journalist Law School, the
Sports Law Institute and others.
Burcham made great strides to grow the law school financially. He raised
money for the completion of the Girardi Advocacy Center, which houses the
school's flagship classroom, Robinson Courtroom. He then instituted a
moratorium on building to focus on the school's endowment, which more than
doubled under his watch. He used part of that money to increase support for
the Public Interest Law Department, which helps students pursue public
interest careers through scholarships, internships and loan forgiveness.
Elsewhere, Burcham worked to establish seven new faculty chairs.
During Burcham's tenure, Loyola saw dramatic improvements in many national
rankings: first for Best Classroom Experience and fourth for Professors Rock
(Legally Speaking) by the Princeton Review and fifth for Trial Advocacy by
U.S. News & World Report. Burcham's efforts to increase campus diversity were
recognized by a number of rankings: ninth for Most Diverse Faculty by the
Princeton Review, tenth on U.S. News' Diversity Index and a listing among the
top 10 schools for Latinos by Hispanic Business magazine.
Burcham was a public school teacher and administrator for more than eight
years before receiving a J.D. from Loyola, where he was chief articles editor
of the Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review and received numerous academic honors.
After graduation, he served as a law clerk to both the Honorable Ruggero J.
Aldisert, chief judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Byron R. White. Before returning to Loyola as a
faculty member in 1991, Burcham practiced labor and employment law with
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Los Angeles. He served as associate dean for
academic affairs from 1999-2000 and was appointed the 15th dean of Loyola Law
School in 2000.
About Victor J. Gold
Gold, a William M. Rains fellow, earned myriad accolades as an esteemed
legal educator and administrator during his two decades at Loyola Law School.
A prolific scholar with dozens of law review articles to his name, Gold earned
an Excellence in Teaching Award from the graduating class of 2007. Gold's
tenure as associate dean for academic affairs from 2000-2005 saw an increased
focus on Loyola Law School's national stature, a drive to recruit top-notch
professors and an emphasis on faculty research.
"Professor Gold is an extremely capable leader who cares deeply about the
law school," Burcham said of his replacement. "He will continue to enhance
the academic excellence of LLS."
Gold teaches and writes primarily in the areas of contracts, evidence and
remedies. Widely considered one of the country's top experts in evidence law,
he has penned several books on the topic, including one with fellow Loyola Law
School Professor David Leonard. Possessing an uncanny ability to explain legal
issues, Gold served as a CBS legal analyst from 1994-97. Prior to teaching at
Loyola, he was a law professor at Arizona State University and an associate at
Nossaman, Krueger & Marsh. Gold graduated Order of the Coif from UCLA Law
School, where he was an editor of the UCLA Law Review.
About Loyola Law School Los Angeles
Located in downtown Los Angeles -- a legal, financial and media capital --
Loyola Law School is home to prominent faculty, dedicated students and
cutting-edge programs. Committed to legal ethics and the public interest,
Loyola Law School has produced top attorneys for nearly a century. For expert
commentary, please contact Brian Costello, deputy director of communications,
at 213.736.1444 or brian.costello@lls.edu. For more information on Loyola Law
School, please visit www.lls.edu.
SOURCE Loyola Law School Los Angeles

Brian Costello, deputy director of communications, Loyola Law School Los
Angeles, +1-213-736-1444, brian.costello@lls.edu