Rayman L. Solomon

Rayman L. Solomon became University Professor and Dean Emeritus on June 18, 2015.  Prior to that he served as the first provost of Rutgers University-Camden from January 1, 2014-June 30, 2015.  Before becoming provost he served as dean of the School of Law-Camden for 16 years. During his tenure as dean of the School of Law, he hired over one-third of the current faculty, significantly expanded the clinical and pro bono programs, and extensively redesigned the curriculum. Among his innovations was creating many classes that combined clinical and writing experiences and doctrinal and trial advocacy or transactional skills. The deanship also saw the strengthening of the student experience, as two additional journals were established. The increased emphasis on alumni activity led to the successful completion of two capital campaigns and the involvement of more alumni in the life of the school. A beautiful 50,000-square-foot addition to the existing law school building and a major renovation of the original building has been completed. The increased high-quality space including a new student lounge, the Clark Commons, and Faculty Lounge, has finally given the students, staff, faculty, and alumni a layout that matches their quality.

Prior to coming to Rutgers-Camden as dean and professor of law on July 1, 1998, Dean Solomon was associate dean for academic affairs and curriculum at Northwestern University School of Law (1989-1998). Before that he was associate director and a research fellow at the American Bar Foundation (1980-1989). While there he was also the editor of the American Bar Foundation Research Journal (now Law and Social Inquiry). Dean Solomon graduated with a B.A. from Wesleyan University (1968) and has a J.D. (1976) and a Ph.D. (1986) in American legal history from the University of Chicago. He served as director of the Seventh Circuit History Project (1976-1978) and published A History of the United States Court of Appeals, 1891-1941 (Government Printing Office, 1981). Dean Solomon served as a law clerk to the Hon. George Edwards, Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (1978-1979). He also was a Bigelow fellow at the University of Chicago where he taught legal research and writing (1979-1980). Dean Solomon's areas of research are the history of the American legal profession, the history of judicial ethics, and federal court history. He is coeditor of two books: In the Interest of Children: Advocacy, Law Reform and Public Policy and Lawyers' Ideals and Lawyers' Practices: Professionalism and the Transformation of the American Legal Profession. In the former, he contributed "Goss v. Lopez: The Principle of the Thing," and in the latter, "Five Crises or One: The Concept of Legal Professionalism, 1925-1960." He has also published "The Politics of Appointment and the Federal Court's Role in Regulating America: U.S. Courts of Appeals Judgeships from T.R. to F.D.R." in the American Bar Foundation Research Journal, and "The Seventh Circuit's Role in Enforcement of Prohibition: Regulating the Regulators," in Law, Alcohol, and Order: Perspectives on National Prohibition. Dean Solomon teaches American Legal History and Trusts and Estates.