David D. Meyer Arrives as New President and Dean: A Warm Welcome to the 10th Dean Since Our Founding in 1901
Brooklyn Law School is formally welcoming new President and Joseph Crea Dean David D. Meyer, who officially takes on the deanship, effective July 1.
Meyer’s appointment followed a year-long search to replace Michael T. Cahill, who steps down from the dean role as of June 30 but is staying on at Brooklyn Law School as a professor teaching criminal law.
Upon news of his appointment on March 24, Meyer expressed that he was “deeply honored” to take the position at Brooklyn Law, where he was previously a visiting professor in 2008.
“For well more than a century, Brooklyn Law School has built a reputation combining scholarly excellence and ambition with a compelling mission of access and public service,” Meyer said. “As Brooklyn Law School approaches its 125th anniversary in 2026, that distinctive mission has never been more important. I look forward to joining with faculty, staff, students, and alumni in ushering in a new era of ambition and innovation, leveraging its location in the heart of the world’s most creative, vital, and entrepreneurial city to prepare new generations of lawyers for leadership in a rapidly changing world.”
Since his appointment, Meyer has been preparing to take on the leadership role and quickly stepped up this week to reaffirm Brooklyn Law School’s mission by sharing a statement with the Law School community in reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 29 rejection of affirmative action in higher-education admissions.
“We disagree profoundly with any suggestion that being a racial minority in American society is no longer itself a marker for a life experience of unique value in a law school classroom,” he wrote. “While we will, of course, ensure that our practices conform to the Court’s judgment, we will not yield in our commitment to ensuring a classroom that includes a rich diversity of experiences and perspectives, including the distinctive experiences of students who have overcome hardships, discrimination, and exclusion of all kinds.”