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Outgoing law school Dean Washburn looks forward to getting his voice back, amid challenging political landscape

Dean Kevin Washburn speaks at an event with Neal Katyal, former Acting Solicitor General of the United States, during The Levitt Lecture Series.
The University of Iowa College of Law
Dean Kevin Washburn speaks at an event with Neal Katyal, former Acting Solicitor General of the United States, in The Levitt Lecture Series.

Washburn has been dean of the law school since 2018. He says the Legislature has had a chilling effect on higher education.

Kevin Washburn, dean of the University of Iowa College of Law, is stepping down from his position at the end of 2024. He has been dean since 2018.

In a conversation with Ben Kieffer on River to River, Washburn reflected on his career in higher education and public service. His exit from leadership comes at a time when the state Legislature and the Republican party at large has targeted what they see as bias in education with their policies – from limiting the reading materials available in K-12 libraries to restricting diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in colleges.

“It certainly feels like there's a bit of a war on higher education right now, and that is challenging,” Washburn told Kieffer.

The outgoing dean said legal education has long been tied to social justice and social policy, but that in recent years those outside of the school have become more concerned about what is being taught. In 2021, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill into law banning critical race theory in Iowa’s regent schools.

“It's definitely had a chilling effect, and I would be lying if I didn't say that's part of what's causing me to step down. I want to get my voice back,” Washburn said. “Leading this institution, I have to be very careful what I say, because I don't want to cause harm to the institution among the legislators.”

He said he is ready to get back to research and the classroom environment, where he hopes to be able to interact with students more.

I would be lying if I didn't say that's part of what's causing me to step down. I want to get my voice back.
Kevin Washburn

As dean, Washburn emphasized the importance of writing skills for aspiring lawyers.

“I always say, ‘Make it so simple, even a judge can understand it,’” Washburn joked. “And that sounds, you know, funny, but judges have to know all of the law, right? They have to have cases across the whole range, and so you have to make it simple so a generalist judge can pick it up.”

He said better writing produces better thinking. To lean into this approach, the law school hired additional legal analysis writing and research professors into the college’s writing program and increased the number of positions at the student-edited law journals.

Washburn also embedded a full-time mental health counselor in the law school before the pandemic.

“Being a lawyer is a very stressful job, and lots of lawyers over the years have had substance abuse, and especially alcohol abuse problems,” he said. “So what we try to do is to teach not just mental health, but wellness activities so that people graduate from law school with healthy ways of dealing with those stresses.”

Prior to his time at the College of Law, Washburn – a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma – served as general counsel to the National Indian Gaming Commission during the Clinton administration and as assistant secretary for Indian Affairs in the Obama administration.

To hear this conversation, listen to River to River, hosted by Ben KiefferCaitlin Troutman produced this episode.

Natalie Dunlap is an award-winning digital producer and writer for Iowa Public Radio. She holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa. Since 2024, Dunlap has worked with IPR's talk team to bring news and features to IPR's digital audience.
Caitlin Troutman is a talk show producer for Iowa Public Radio. She holds a bachelor's degree from William Jewell College. Since 2022, Troutman has worked with IPR's talk team to bring news and features to IPR's listening audience.
Ben Kieffer is the host of IPR's River to River