The University of Colorado Law School has reappointed Dean Lolita Buckner Inniss for a three-year term commencing July 1, 2026, despite significant opposition from faculty and student leaders. Inniss, who became the school’s first Black dean in 2021, will serve a term shorter than the customary five years.
Faculty support for Inniss’s reappointment was notably low, with only 27% of eligible faculty members in favor. Approximately 38% voted against her reappointment, while the remainder abstained or did not participate. Additionally, about 90% of student group leaders expressed objections to her continuing in the role. ([abovethelaw.com](https://abovethelaw.com/2025/07/colorado-law-school-dean-reappointed-amid-mass-faculty-disapproval/?utm_source=openai))
In 2023, Professor Paul Campos filed a lawsuit against the university and Dean Inniss, alleging discrimination and retaliation. Campos claimed he received a disproportionately low annual evaluation score and that Inniss failed to address his concerns, leading to further retaliatory actions. The lawsuit was settled in early 2024, with the university covering Campos’s legal fees and providing a financial settlement. ([lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com](https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2024/02/how-i-won-my-lawsuit-against-the-university-of-colorado?utm_source=openai))
Following the settlement, the university’s Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance conducted an 18-month investigation, concluding that Dean Inniss had violated anti-discrimination policies by retaliating against Campos after he reported discrimination. ([law.com](https://www.law.com/2024/03/13/internal-investigation-finds-colorado-law-dean-violated-anti-discrimination-policies/?utm_source=openai))
Despite these findings and the faculty’s lack of confidence, the university proceeded with Inniss’s reappointment. This decision has raised questions about the administration’s commitment to addressing faculty and student concerns, as well as its adherence to anti-discrimination policies.
Dean Inniss’s tenure has also been marked by financial challenges. The law school has been hiring extensively, reducing its faculty-student ratio to levels comparable with top institutions like Yale and Stanford, without securing corresponding funding. This has led to budgetary strains, including the use of gift funds to cover faculty and staff raises, raising concerns about the school’s financial sustainability. ([abovethelaw.com](https://abovethelaw.com/2025/07/colorado-law-school-dean-reappointed-amid-mass-faculty-disapproval/?utm_source=openai))
The reappointment of Dean Inniss, in light of faculty opposition and prior findings of policy violations, underscores the complexities and challenges within the University of Colorado Law School’s administration.