What They’re Saying About Cristina M. Rodríguez, Incoming Dean of Yale Law School

Cristina M. Rodríguez’s selection as the next dean of Yale Law School has drawn praise from colleagues, scholars, experts, and leaders across legal education, the legal profession, and public service. Rodríguez is known for her steadfast leadership, pathbreaking scholarly work, incisive teaching, legal acumen and judgement, and service both to Yale Law School and to the broader legal profession.

Rodríguez, the Leighton Homer Surbeck Professor of Law and current deputy dean of Yale Law School, will assume the deanship on Feb. 1, 2026, as the Sol and Lillian Goldman Dean and Professor of Law. A nationally acclaimed scholar of constitutional structure, administrative governance, presidential power, and immigration law and policy, she brings 25 years of experience in academia and the legal profession to this role.  

Learn what colleagues, peers, and leaders from across the country are saying about Cristina Rodríguez and the experience, judgment, and values she will bring as the next dean of Yale Law School.

Maurie McInnis, President of Yale University, said “Cristina’s commitment to scholarship, excellence, and service make her an exceptional candidate to lead Yale Law School, and the entire Yale community is fortunate to have such a devoted and experienced leader take the helm. I have no doubt that under Cristina’s principled leadership, Yale Law School will continue to embody the highest ideals of the legal profession and the intellectual pursuit of understanding law’s role in society.”   

Adam J. White, Laurence H. Silberman Chair in Constitutional Governance at the American Enterprise Institute and co-director of the C. Boyden Gray Center for the Study of the Administrative State at George Mason University, said “[The President’s] Supreme Court Commission was an inauspicious place to meet Prof. Rodríguez. She had a very difficult job: Many of us had misgivings about the project from the start, and all of us had significant disagreements with one another. I agreed to participate because I trusted Cristina (and her co-chair) to run a serious, even-handed process. And she proved to be every bit as trustworthy, even-handed, and open-minded as advertised. I came away from the process deeply impressed with her as a colleague, and glad to be her friend.” 

Martha Minow, 300th Anniversary University Professor, Harvard University, and former dean of Harvard Law School, said “Cristina Rodríguez combines the best traditions of public service, intellectual curiosity, and scholarly accomplishment as well as passion for welcoming and guiding students in exploring tough issues with rigor and open-mindedness. Exemplified by her superb guidance as co-chair of the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States, Cristina’s own clarity and leadership abilities manifest wisdom, interest in diverse views, and commitment to bridge theory and practice. As a Yale Law School alum and a former dean, I am grateful to Cristina for taking on this vital role and will watch with eagerness her leadership of YLS and its ongoing global impact on education and on the rule of law.” 

Dean Search Committee Co-Chairs Professor Tracey Meares, the Walton Hale Hamilton Professor of Law, and Professor Doug Kysar, the Joseph M. Field ’55 Professor of Law, said “Cristina Rodríguez is a highly regarded and influential scholar possessing exceptional intellect, leadership acumen, and sound judgment. As a widely respected colleague across the legal profession and legal education, she is exceptionally well qualified to lead Yale Law School forward at this important moment.”

Guido Calabresi, Sterling Professor Emeritus of Law and former Dean of Yale Law School, said “The appointment of Cristina Rodríguez as our new dean brings me joy. Cristina will be a great dean. She is a first-rate scholar and teacher in the long tradition of Yale Law School deans. She has also proven her courage and administrative ability in the many initiatives she has participated in and led, both locally and nationally. Most of all, she combines excellence with humanity and love.”

Yair Listokin, Interim Dean and Shibley Family Fund Professor of Law, said “As a consummate scholar and teacher, Cristina is deeply committed to our beloved institution. She is widely admired for her steadfast leadership, pathbreaking scholarly work, and service both to Yale Law School and to the broader legal profession. We are so incredibly fortunate to have her as the next leader of Yale Law School. I look forward to working with her and our faculty and staff on a smooth transition.” 

Richard L. Revesz, AnBryce Professor of Law and Dean Emeritus, New York University School of Law, said “Cristina Rodríguez is a towering figure in the world of public law scholarship. She has written pathbreaking articles in the fields of administrative law and immigration law that reflect both exceptional intellectual creativity and deep institutional knowledge. Her extraordinary academic accomplishments coupled with her high-level government service, admirable values, and deep integrity will make her an extraordinary dean.”