Dean's Office
Laura N. Shepherd
Associate Dean for Student and Academic Services
and Chief Equity Officer
Degrees: B.A. (Psychology), Marymount College, Tarrytown; J.D., Syracuse University
Email: laura.shepherd@wm.edu
Office phone: (757) 221-1856; Office location: Room 136F
Dean Shepherd joined the Law School administration in September 2018. Her portfolio of responsibilities includes academic support, wellness, diversity and inclusion initiatives, exam scheduling and administration, student accommodations, and personal and professional support. She also supervises the Law School Registrar's Office.
Representative Professional Activities and Achievements
Dean Shepherd began her career in the Office of the District Attorney of New York County, where she served as an Assistant District Attorney with significant responsibility in prosecuting domestic violence cases. She later served as Director of Academic Affairs at New York Law School, and as Assistant Secretary to the New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners, a role in which she managed all aspects of the attorney admissions process, including bar exam administration and character and fitness issues. Prior to coming to William & Mary, she was the Associate Dean for Student Services at North Carolina Central University School of Law.
Among her professional activities, she has served as Executive Secretary of the Council of Bar Admission Administrators and as Chair of the 2018 ACCESSLEX Graduate and Professional Financial Aid Conference.