Golden State Today

The University of California, Davis, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Mary Croughan announced today that Jessica Berg will be the next dean of the UC Davis School of Law. Berg, who has served as one of two co-deans of the School of Law at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) for nearly 11 years, will start on September 1.

"Jessica is a warm and engaging leader with a breadth of experience that will add new facets of distinction to our outstanding School of Law," Croughan said. "Her transdisciplinary, open approach to teaching and scholarship beautifully fits our campus culture. I look forward to seeing all that she and our dedicated and talented faculty and staff will accomplish together."

During Berg’s tenure as dean, the CWRU School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio, launched a summer jumpstart program, a spring enrollment for juris doctorate, and three master’s degree programs. She implemented hiring and recruitment practices that increased diverse representation among students, staff, and faculty. The school’s innovative programming boosted CWRU graduates’ bar pass rates, placing it among the top law schools in Ohio.

"While I initially hadn’t planned to consider another deanship right away, the opportunity at UC Davis was too exciting to ignore," Berg said. "The School of Law and overall university’s commitment to serving first-generation students, to social justice, and to academic and scholarly excellence all attracted me to this position. I’m excited to work with the provost and other deans, the world-class faculty and talented staff, and to meet the students and alumni when I get there this fall."

While Berg was dean at CWRU School of Law set several fundraising records by bringing in its two largest charitable gifts ($10 million and $4.5 million), doubling its endowment size which placed it among the top 15% nationwide for law school endowments. She also played a key role in reducing the school’s deficit by more than $7 million through income growth and expense reduction.

Over her 25-year tenure at CWRU, Berg held several roles including associate director for the Institute for Global Security Law and Policy; associate director for the Law-Medicine Center; health policy track coordinator for the Public Health Department. Prior to her time at CWRU she was director of Academic Affairs for the Institute for Ethics; secretary for Council on Ethical Judicial Affairs at American Medical Association in Chicago; adjunct professor at University Chicago Law School; Northwestern University Law School; visiting professor Michigan State University Medical School.

Berg holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University along with Juris Doctorate from Cornell's law school plus master's public health from CWRU's medical school.

She replaces Kevin Johnson who has served as dean since 2008.