March 27, 2023

Michael Waterstone named dean of UCLA School of Law

Michael Waterstone, a nationally recognized expert in disability and civil rights law, has been named dean of UCLA School of Law.

Waterstone, who currently is the Fritz B. Burns Dean at LMU Loyola Law School and senior vice president of Loyola Marymount University, will begin the new role by Aug. 15.

Since assuming leadership of Loyola Law School in 2016, he has presided over the development and growth of major new programs, including the Loyola Social Justice Law Clinic; the Coelho Center on Disability Law, Policy and Innovation; and the school’s Antiracism Center. He also led the recruitment of more than 20 law faculty, oversaw the creation of a hybrid J.D. program, appointed the school’s first associate dean of equity and inclusion, and secured some of the largest gifts in the school’s history.

“UCLA School of Law is an extraordinary community,” Waterstone said. “Our values of inclusivity and excellence are woven into the fabric of Los Angeles, felt across the country and world and known throughout legal education. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve and look forward to working with all of our constituencies — faculty, students, staff, alumni and other colleagues — to build on all of our successes into what I know is an exciting future.”

The appointment brings Waterstone back to his alma mater: He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA.

“Dean Waterstone’s administrative and academic experience and achievements, coupled with his UCLA roots and strong ties to our city, position him well to lead UCLA Law at this moment,” Darnell Hunt, UCLA’s executive vice chancellor and provost, wrote in an email to faculty. “Chancellor Block and I are confident that the school will reach new heights under his capable leadership.”