Three federal appellate judges—James Ho, Andrew Oldham, and Don Willett—have been named to lead the search committee for the inaugural dean of the University of Austin's law school, according to a report from Above the Law. The committee's task is to select the founding dean for the new institution, which has not yet opened.
The source describes the judges as "Supreme Court wannabes," a characterization that reflects their frequent mention in discussions of potential future high-court nominees. No other details about the search timeline, candidate criteria, or the law school's launch date were provided in the report.
The University of Austin, a private institution founded in 2021, has positioned itself as an alternative to traditional academia. The selection of a dean is a key step in establishing its law school, though the source offers no further specifics on the school's curriculum or accreditation plans.