Women in Law 2022

JENNIFER ROSATO PEREA DEAN OF COLLEGE OF LAW DePaul University College of Law D ean Rosato Perea is one of the most experienced deans in the country, and one of only a small number of Latina law school deans. She currently is in her fifteenth year as a dean, beginning her eighth year as Dean at DePaul University College of Law. Before joining DePaul, she served as dean of Northern Illinois University College of Law and as acting dean at Drexel University Thomas N. Kline School of Law in its inaugural year. As a nationally recognized leader in legal education, Dean Rosato Perea has led various initiatives related to student engagement, professionalism and experiential learning. Under her leadership, DePaul College of Law has seen improvement in student success and increased recognition for its academic programs. An essential part of her success is engaging alumni of all generations as thought leaders, mentors, and future employers. More generally, Dean Rosato Perea is dedicated to building bridges between legal education and the legal profession, and to partnering with other community and bar organizations to enhance student experiences and expand access to justice. She has served on the Illinois Board of Admissions to the Bar (ex officio), the Justice Entrepreneurs Project Advisory Board, and the ISBA Task Force on Legal Education and Student Debt. Dean Rosato Perea is frequently asked to share her views on the future of legal education before a variety of national and regional organizations, including the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) and the American Bar Association. She was recently featured in the AALS American Law School Dean Study. She has shown a long-standing commitment to diversity through her presentations and trainings, her mentoring of students and lawyers, and her participation in a variety of pipeline programs. She hopes that these programs will help students gain the skills, knowledge, and experiences every student should have to maximize their success in law school. For example, DePaul College of Law recently initiated a mentoring program for first-year students from underrepresented populations, and the First Generation in Law Scholars Program (FGLP), a comprehensive pipeline program for college students. Dean Rosato Perea has received a number of honors and awards reflecting her commitment to legal education and diversity in the profession. Most recently, she is the recipient of the Hispanic National Bar Foundation 2022 Academic Leadership Award; 2021 Diversity Scholarship Foundation, Advocate for Diversity Award; and the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois Aguila Award in 2020. She also has received a Board of Governors Award and Honorary Fellow Award from the Illinois State Bar Association. Dean Rosato Perea received her Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and her Bachelors of Science from Cornell University, where she majored in social work. She lives in Chicago with her husband and dog, and enjoys running any distance from 5Ks to half-marathons.

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WOMEN IN LAW 2022