Former Law Dean Matt Parlow Named Next President of Chapman University

Matt Parlow, the former Dean of the Chapman’s law school, has been appointed as the 14th President of Chapman University effective September 2, 2025.  He is currently serving as the Executive Vice President, Chief Advancement Officer and the Parker S. Kennedy Chair in Law at the University.

Prior to joining Chapman, Parlow was a professor and associate dean for academic affairs at Marquette University School of Law.  Parlow worked in private practice at Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, and also clerked for Jude Pamela Ann Rymer of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  He also served in government, working in White House Office of the Legal Counsel.

He earned his JD from Yale Law School.

City University (Seattle) Appoints Suzanne Elise Walsh as Next President

On Thursday, February 27, 2025, attorney Suzanne Elise Walsh became the first woman president of City University in Seattle, WA. She is also the first person of color to lead the 50 year old institution.  

Walsh is an experienced administrator, currently serving as President of HBCU Bennett College in North Carolina.  Prior to Bennett College, Walsh was the deputy director of postsecondary success at the Gates Foundation and held positions at the Lumina Foundation and the Heinz Endowments.

Walsh received both her JD and MSW in social work from Case Western Reserve University.  She joins NYU President Linda Mills as the only currently serving women presidents with both JD and MSW degrees.

Attorney James Davis Named Interim President of University of Texas - Austin

Jim Davis was appointed Interim President of the flagship University of Texas Campus on February 19, 2025 effective immediately.   He previously served as General Counsel for UT Austin and then later as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the campus.  Davis also served in the U.S. Navy as a cryptologist and he was stationed in Scotland. A former government lawyer, Davis worked in the office of the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton as a deputy attorney general for litigation, and as a briefing attorney at the Texas Supreme Court for Justice Alberto Gonzalez.  Davis also worked in the private sector in the Texas office of Locke Lord.

Davis earned a JD from Harvard University School of Law.