By Kaytee Lozier
University history was made this month when Nora Demleitner became the first woman to head the Hofstra Law School, replacing Aaron Twerski, who announced his resignation last month for health-related reasons.
Demleitner, 40, was appointed interim dean on March 2 and has spent the last two weeks getting settled in her new position. She said she hopes to create a smooth transition between Twerski, who served as dean for two years, and the next permanent dean.
“I’m excited about this, because in the past there were relatively few women going to law school,” Demleitner said. “But I’m even more proud of the fact that I am an immigrant.”
She emigrated from Germany when she was 19 and received her bachelors’ degree from Bates College, and then her J.D. from Yale Law School.
“I didn’t feel I was at a major disadvantage when I came here, but I didn’t know what ‘cute’ meant and all those words that are important when you’re 19,” Demleitner said.
Demleitner moved on to clerk for Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. when he was a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and testified in front of the Senate in favor of Alito’s appointment to the Supreme Court. She has written extensively on the subjects of sentencing and collateral consequence, and lectures throughout the United States and Europe.
“Alito is a wonderful person to work for,” Demleitner said. “We didn’t always see eye to eye on legal matters, but he was always respectful, and that is something I will always take with me.”
Demleitner joined the law school faculty in 2001 as a professor and acted as vice dean for academic affairs beginning January of last year. Michelle Wu, 36, has been named interim vice dean in her place.
“I think there is a wonderful team in place right now,” said Wu, who became a member of the faculty in 2004 as professor and director of the Deane Law Library.
Former Dean Aaron Twerski, 67, has high hopes for Demleitner. “I chose her to take my place for the same reason I chose her as vice dean,” Twerski said. “She has great administrative abilities and judgment, and this will make her a superb interim dean.”
Demleitner said she will not make any decisions about applying for the permanent dean position any time soon. If she chooses not to apply she will go back to teaching. “I will have a better sense in the fall about how I’ve done in this position,” she said, “and how my relationships with the faculty have progressed.”