Yale Law School is undergoing a leadership transition following Dean Heather K. Gerken’s appointment as the next president of the Ford Foundation. ([law.yale.edu](https://law.yale.edu/yls-today/news/yale-law-school-dean-heather-gerken-named-ford-foundation-president?utm_source=openai))
Effective August 1, 2025, Yair Listokin, the Shibley Family Fund Professor of Law and a 2005 graduate of Yale Law School, will serve as interim dean. ([law.yale.edu](https://law.yale.edu/yls-today/news/university-announces-yair-listokin-interim-dean-and-formation-search-committee?utm_source=openai)) Listokin has been the deputy dean for the past three years and is recognized for his scholarship in law and economics, particularly in tax law, corporate law, and Jewish law. His book, “Law and Macroeconomics: Legal Remedies to Recessions,” has been influential in the emerging field of law and macroeconomics. ([president.yale.edu](https://president.yale.edu/posts/2025-07-17-yale-law-school-interim-leadership-and-dean-search?utm_source=openai))
In conjunction with this interim appointment, Yale University President Maurie McInnis has established a search committee to identify the next permanent dean of Yale Law School. ([president.yale.edu](https://president.yale.edu/committees-programs/presidents-committees/search-committee-for-the-dean-of-yale-law-school?utm_source=openai)) The committee is co-chaired by Professors Doug Kysar and Tracey Meares and includes faculty members Jack Balkin, Miriam Gohara, Jon Macey, Natasha Sarin, and Gideon Yaffe. ([yaledailynews.com](https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2025/07/20/yair-listokin-named-interim-dean-of-yale-law-school/?utm_source=openai))
The committee will engage with faculty, students, staff, alumni, and university leadership to gather input during the search process. ([president.yale.edu](https://president.yale.edu/committees-programs/presidents-committees/search-committee-for-the-dean-of-yale-law-school?utm_source=openai)) Updates on the committee’s progress will be provided periodically.
Dean Gerken’s tenure, which began in 2017, has been marked by initiatives to increase access to legal education, including eliminating tuition for low-income students and challenging law school ranking methodologies. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/yale-law-dean-departs-lead-ford-foundation-2025-07-01/?utm_source=openai)) She will assume her new role at the Ford Foundation in November 2025. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/1daf4476fc04e2109796e47bcfdf8911?utm_source=openai))
As Yale Law School embarks on this transition, the community anticipates continued excellence and innovation under its forthcoming leadership.