Profile: Dean Michael Fitts
You could say that Mike Fitts began preparing
for his current position with his first breath.
After all, his father was head of Penn's surgery
department, and his grandfather had been dean
of The Wharton School. "From an early age,"
Mike says, "I came to appreciate the personal
rewards of building an institution."But Mike took his own road to the deanship, one that led through Harvard College and Yale Law. He honed his deep belief in public service and his ethical fortitude in the Office of Legal Counsel, which advises the White House and the Cabinet. So he brought a wide view of the world when he came back to Penn Law. Fifteen years on the faculty complemented that breadth with depth of knowledge about his School.
When Mike was reappointed to the deanship in 2006, President Amy Gutmann spoke of the "outstanding success" of "his leadership" and unanimous support. "We are confident that Michael Fitts is the ideal leader to continue to take Penn Law to new heights," she said. "He has the strong support of the School's faculty, staff, students and alumni, as well as his fellow Deans and colleagues across the University."
At this point in his tenure, Mike knows exactly what he wants to preserve about the Law School: "a rigorous but intimate environment, where our faculty delivers as fine a legal education as you will find anywhere in the country." He also knows what he wants to change: the size of the endowment.
"A school is defined by its people," says Mike, "but resources are critical in supporting both faculty and students. Imagine what we could accomplish with an endowment commensurate with the quality of our people and programs!"
