Dean Paul Caron Quoted in Bloomberg Law Article on Changing Role of Law School Deans

Dean Paul L. Caron is quoted in the Bloomberg Law article, "Tweedy Law School Deans Break Out Calculators." The article examines the changing role of law schools deans following the enrollment decline in 2010-2015 due to the economic recession.

Excerpt from "Tweedy Law School Deans Break Out Calculators"

After he took over as Pepperdine University’s law dean, Paul Caron said his top job duty became finding ways to fill the enrollment gap. First-year enrollment at the school dropped in the mid-2000s from about 210 students to 160 students annually, he said.

The school scored a lifeline from alum Rick Caruso, a real estate developer who is running for mayor in Los Angeles. It was renamed for Caruso after he pledged $50 million to Pepperdine in 2019.

To boost enrollment, the school also temporarily lowered admissions standards. It has since developed online and master’s programs to keep tuition money coming in.

Caron also wanted to teach, but the former tax law professor said he quickly realized that was unrealistic.

“It almost killed me because of the demands on my time to run the school,” Caron said of the one time he tried to teach during his tenure. “I can handle budgets, but I woefully underestimated the time needed for fundraising.”

The complete article may be found at Bloomberg Law