On July 24, Stanford University announced that I would be the 13th dean of Stanford Law School. I am both thrilled and humbled by the opportunity to take the helm at this extraordinary institution. Let me share with you some of what I have experienced since late July, and some of my initial impressions from the short time that I have been here.

The first thing that became apparent to me was the depth and warmth of the Stanford community—or, as I have come to think of it, community with a capital C. In the days and weeks following the announcement, hundreds of people affiliated with Stanford called, wrote, emailed, texted, or posted on my Facebook page. I heard from what seemed to be every-one connected to SLS—faculty, administrators, staff, students, and many, many law school 
alums. But I also heard from dozens of people who are not affiliated directly with Stanford Law School, but rather with the greater university—from professors, to human resources personnel, to department chairs. I heard from people hiking in the mountains, floating down rivers on rafting trips, and traveling abroad. Without exception, they congratulated me, they offered help, and they assured me that I would love my time at Stanford.