Rachel Janutis has been appointed to the position of Dean of Capital University Law School after serving as interim dean for nearly three years.
“I have enjoyed serving the Law School as interim dean,” Janutis said. “I am honored to have the opportunity to work with my colleagues at the Law School and on the Bexley campus, as well as the many alumni and friends who are committed to the Law School as we help the Law School continue to fulfill [its] vital mission.”
Janutis is the first female dean of the Law School and has been a member of Capital’s law faculty since 2002. She had previously served as the Law School’s associate dean for Academic Affairs and as director of Faculty Development.
“I joined the law school faculty in 2002 because I was deeply committed to the mission of the law school—to provide an opportunity for a legal education and access to the legal profession to as wide an audience as possible,” Janutis said. “I have experienced in my own life the power of a legal education to transform the lives of those so educated and, in turn, to empower those individuals to transform the lives of the clients and communities they serve.”
As interim dean, Janutis has overseen an enhanced focus on student and post-graduate success as well as curricular reforms, including the creation of the 3+3 JD program, which allows Capital undergrads to obtain their law degree in six rather than the average seven years.
In the University’s official announcement last week, President Paul said, “Dean Janutis’s steady leadership has guided the Law School through a period of transformation in legal education and positioned it for a purposeful future.”
