NEW HAVEN, Conn. — As the next dean of Yale Law School, Heather Gerken says a key challenge will be figuring how best to stand up for the rule of law.
Gerken, a constitutional law expert, was appointed this week as the 17th dean of the law school and the first woman to serve in the role.
“It’s a hard time right now in politics and law and figuring out how Yale can continue to play a leading role in protecting the value of the rule of law in a turbulent time is one of the major challenges,” Gerken said in an interview.
Since President Donald Trump took office, clinics led by Gerken and other Yale faculty members have taken a leading role in challenging some of his actions. She also served as an adviser to President Barack Obama’s campaigns in 2008 and 2012.
But Gerken said the values that need defending in today’s political climate are nonpartisan. Among them, she said, are the importance of respectful discussion with the opposing side and respect for constitutional rights and the constitutional process.
“Politics aside, these are values that run deep inside this profession,” she said.
One conversation taking place now inside the law school, she said, is how to protect key values in a way that acknowledges the importance of political viewpoints on both sides.
