New York Law School Announces New Dean

New York, N.Y. — Anthony W. Crowell, Counselor to New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Brooklyn Public Library, has been named the 16th Dean and President of New York Law School by unanimous vote of the Board of Trustees, announced Arthur N. Abbey ’59, Chair of the Board. Crowell joins the faculty as Professor of Law and Distinguished Practitioner and officially takes office later this spring.

“We are delighted that Anthony is joining New York Law School as President and Dean at this pivotal time,” Abbey said. “His vision, intelligence, and energy make him the perfect leader for New York Law School. Anthony is ideally suited to maximize our strengths, including an innovative curriculum, distinguished faculty, and state-of-the-art building. He will inspire our students, faculty, and alumni and bring us recognition as a vanguard law school for the 21st century.”

“Anthony Crowell is someone I’ve trusted with an extraordinary amount of responsibility over the past decade, because his legal and policy acumen are matched only by his management expertise and knowledge of city government,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “He has been an integral part of our City Hall team, shaping and implementing almost all of our Administration’s key initiatives. I could always count on Anthony to deliver straight-shooting analysis, sound advice and creative solutions – no matter what the issue. New York Law School has been a valuable part of the city’s legal and academic landscape for more than 120 years, and they have made an outstanding decision in selecting Anthony Crowell to lead the school into the future.”

“Having taught at New York Law School for nine years, I am deeply impressed by the quality and commitment of its students and their passion for learning and have watched with great admiration the School’s remaking of its entire curriculum, especially in the first year, to give students training in the real-life practice of law,” said Crowell. “I look forward to working with the students, faculty, staff, and alumni to further the Law School’s mission, build on its strong legacy, and realize its promising future,” he said. Since 2003, Crowell has been an adjunct professor at New York Law School, teaching a seminar on New York City law.

Crowell’s vast responsibilities in the Bloomberg Administration include managing a broad portfolio of legal, regulatory, legislative, governance, administrative, and operational matters focused on enhancing New York City’s performance, competitiveness, accountability, and public integrity. He also provides coordination and oversight of City agencies, boards, and commissions, and spearheads government reform efforts and business process re-engineering initiatives.

Prior to his appointment as Counselor, Crowell served as Special Counsel to the Mayor from 2002 to 2006. In addition, he has served as an executive director, counsel, or commissioner with six City Charter Revision Commissions.

From 1997 to 2002, Crowell served as Assistant Corporation Counsel in the New York City Law Department’s Tax & Condemnation and Legal Counsel Divisions where he advised on constitutional questions and the legality of disputed policy issues, handled complex litigation, and drafted legislation and regulations for the Mayor and City agencies. In 2001, he directed the City’s World Trade Center Death Certificate Program, and was counsel at the City’s Family Assistance Center, aiding families of victims of the 9-11 attacks. Crowell is a recipient of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York’s Outstanding Municipal Attorney Award.

Before joining the Corporation Counsel, Crowell worked in Washington, D.C., at the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) from 1992 to 1997, where he managed government affairs and policy and assisted in the preparation of amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court in cases concerning state and local governments.

He was elected Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Brooklyn Public Library in 2009; from 2006 to 2009 he served as Vice-Chair of the 29-member Board of Trustees. Crowell was appointed to the Board in 2003 by Mayor Bloomberg. Brooklyn Public Library is the nation’s fifth largest library system, the City’s ninth largest cultural institution, and Brooklyn’s largest not-for-profit organization. It has 1400 employees, 60 neighborhood branches, and an annual budget of $100,000,000.

Crowell received a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied urban policy, and a J.D. from American University. He is a member of the bars of New York and New Jersey.

Crowell succeeds Richard A. Matasar, who was Dean and President of New York Law School from 2000 to 2011. Carol A. Buckler will continue to act as Interim Dean until Crowell takes office.

About New York Law School

Founded in 1891, New York Law School is an independent law school located in lower Manhattan near the city’s centers of law, government, and finance. New York Law School’s renowned faculty of prolific scholars has built the School’s strength in such areas as constitutional law, civil and human rights, labor and employment law, media and information law, tax law, real estate and urban legal studies, international law, financial services and regulation, and a number of interdisciplinary fields. The School is noted for its nine academic centers: Center on Business Law & Policy, Center on Financial Services Law, Center for International Law, Center for New York City Law, Center for Professional Values and Practice, Center for Real Estate Studies, Diane Abbey Law Center for Children and Families, Institute for Information Law & Policy, and Justice Action Center. New York Law School has more than 13,000 graduates and currently enrolls some 1,350 full-time students and 400 part-time students in its J.D. program and its four advanced degree programs in financial services law, real estate, tax, and mental disability law studies. www.nyls.edu