UNH names new Rudman Center director

Jordan Budd (Courtesy photo)

CONCORD, N.H. - University of New Hampshire School of Law Interim Dean Jordan Budd has been named executive director of the Warren B. Rudman Center, following his decision to step down from the deanship upon completion of his current term in 2017. Budd will continue to serve as interim dean until a national search for his successor is complete.

Budd replaces Richard Ashooh, who is finishing a six-month interim appointment as executive director that began last September. Ashooh's last day will be March 18.

A national search to select a next dean of UNH Law is underway, led by search committee co-chairs Jan Nisbet, senior vice provost for research at UNH, and Michael McCann, professor of law and chair of the law faculty's appointments committee.

"We thank Jordan for his tremendous service as interim dean thus far. While we will miss his leadership at the law school, we are eager for his work with the Rudman Center to begin. His passion for public service and enthusiasm for supporting the students of UNH Law make him an ideal leader for the center," said P.T. Vasudevan, interim provost at UNH. "Our search for a new dean has begun, and we are dedicated to finding a candidate who can carry forward UNH Law's commitment to excellence and rigor in legal education and scholarship."

The university also announced the renaming of the center as the Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership and Public Service - rather than Justice, Leadership and Public Policy - which aligns with the center's mission to honor U.S. Senator Rudman's legacy of championing work in the public interest and mentoring the next generation of public service leaders.

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to help move the Rudman Center forward as we redouble our efforts to prepare students to enter public service. That renewed focus will help us better serve our students and embody the spirit of Senator Rudman's distinguished career," Budd said. "I want to thank Rich for his dedication and tremendous leadership. He was an instrumental driver in the center's efforts to increase student engagement and to strengthen its focus on public service. I am especially grateful that we will continue to benefit from Rich's involvement, as he has agreed to continue his partnership with us as a member of the center's advisory board."

Budd was appointed to a three-year term as interim dean of UNH Law in June 2014. Prior to his appointment, he served as the law school's associate dean for academic affairs from 2011 to 2014.

His commitment to public service is well established. From 2009 to 2011, he served as the chairperson of the New Hampshire State Advisory Committee to the United States Civil Rights Commission, and he was also previously a member of the board of the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union Foundation.

Prior to joining UNH Law, Budd spent more than a decade as the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties.

Budd holds an AB degree, summa cum laude, from Harvard College, and a JD degree with honors from Harvard Law School.