OFFICE OF THE DEAN
The Office of the Dean is open during regular business hours Monday – Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. If you need to meet with one of our deans, please email them directly to schedule a meeting in advance.
Office of the Dean
Assistant to the Dean
Jacqueline Stephenson
[email protected]
404-413-9035
Message from Dean LaVonda Reed
Welcome to Georgia State University College of Law.
Georgia State Law is dedicated to offering a world-class legal education and student success. Our ultimate bar passage rate for the Class of 2019 J.D. graduates was 97.85 percent, for those who passed the bar examination within two years of graduation according to the American Bar Association. The college has gained national recognition as one of the "Best Value" law schools in the nation and our Health Law program is ranked No. 3 in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
Georgia State Law faculty are globally recognized research scholars and teachers who bring theoretical expertise and practical experience and professional connections to the classroom. We take seriously our role in educating and training future generations of leaders and legal professionals who will make a positive impact on society. Students have many curricular opportunities to build their professional skills and identity.
The College of Law was founded in 1982 on the idea that legal education should be accessible and affordable for all. Ben F. Johnson Jr., founding dean of the College of Law along with many others answered the demand for an accredited part-time, evening law school in Atlanta, Georgia. The College of Law’s first-class included 200 Juris Doctor candidates, taught by six professors.
Since then, our institution continues to progress and maintain a long-standing commitment to accessibility, affordability, academic achievement, and academic excellence.
If you have an interest in the legal profession and would like to learn more about the Georgia State Law experience, you can read more here and contact our Admissions department directly for assistance.
Best Regards,
LaVonda N. Reed
Dean and Professor of Law

Dean LaVonda Reed
LaVonda N. Reed, J.D., was appointed the seventh dean of Georgia State University College of Law, effective July 1, 2021.
Prior to her appointment at Georgia State Law, Dean Reed served as professor of law and associate provost for faculty affairs at Syracuse University. In this position, she had oversight of research and administrative leaves, awards, promotion and tenure review, policy development and enforcement among other duties. She led initiatives to recruit and retain a diverse faculty and created the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence and the Center for Faculty Leadership and Professional Development, which helped further the work of Syracuse’s National Science Foundation ADVANCE grant designed to support women and underrepresented minority scholars in STEM disciplines.
Since joining Georgia State Law, Dean Reed has focused on five guiding principles—access to the profession; affordability of legal education; academic excellence in faculty scholarship, teaching, and career advancement; student and staff professional achievement; and active engagement of all stakeholders. These principles serve to focus the Georgia State Law community of faculty, staff, and students on the mission of the college into the next 40 years and beyond.
Her research and teaching are in the areas of wills and trusts, property, and communications regulatory law and policy.
Prior to her appointment at Syracuse University, she was on the faculty of the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville. She also was a judicial clerk for the Honorable Donald W. VanArtsdalen of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and practiced communications and corporate law with the international firm of Paul Hastings LLP.
Dean Reed earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Virginia.
Speaker Request Form
Note: Speaking requests should be submitted at least 30 days in advance for consideration.
Leadership
Contact the Dean
Press Coverage
-
-
- First Black Woman Selected To Lead Georgia State College of Law
WABE - Georgia State Law Dean LaVonda Reed: An Educator at Heart
attorneyatlawmagazine.com - Meet GSU Law School's New Dean
Daily Report - Law Students at Georgia State Will Get Close View of ADR
Daily Report
- First Black Woman Selected To Lead Georgia State College of Law
-
-
-
- Georgia State University Offers Law Course Inspired By Steve Harvey's Life
blackenterprise.com - Georgia State University to Honor Unsung Heroes of Civil Rights Movement
WSB-TV Channel 2 - College of Law Recognized by White House and DOJ for Eviction Prevention Efforts
Georgia State University News
- Georgia State University Offers Law Course Inspired By Steve Harvey's Life
-
CONTACT
Assistant to the Dean
Jacqueline Stephenson
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 4037
Atlanta, GA 30302-4037
Physical Address
85 Park Place NE
Atlanta, GA 30303