At work, new dean was ‘universally liked’

Whittier Law School officials have announced that a family law expert with experience in Latin America has been chosen as the school’s new dean.

University of Denver law professor Penelope Bryan will take over as dean July 1 at the Costa Mesa-based school, following a national search that began in September.

A search committee reviewed about 100 applications before winnowing them down and selecting Bryan, said Keith Rodenhuis, president of the school’s alumni association in Orange County and the Orange County deputy treasurer.

Bryan stood out for her ability to appeal to all the relevant groups, Rodenhuis said.

“She was universally liked,” Rodenhuis said. “You could tell from the very beginning she was a person who brought people together. Sometimes alumni and professors might not have the same interests, but she was able to really talk the talk to both sides and articulate her message to everybody.”

Rodenhuis also said Bryan’s 20 years in Denver as a professor of family law fit in with the university’s specialties, not to mention her experience spending a great deal of time working in South America.

“Demographics are shifting in Orange County, and it’s great for the school to have someone well-versed in those areas,” he said. “Also, one of the selling points for the school is our active role in the children’s rights and family law area, so her experience there helps as well.”

Bryan will replace Neil Cogan, the dean who led the school since 2001. In that time, the school moved past threats to its accreditation by creating new programs so more students passed the bar exam. She will be the sole female dean of an American Bar Assn.-accredited law school in Orange County, he said.

Whittier College President Sharon Hertzberger praised Bryan in a statement she released to the media:

“Penelope Bryan’s vision for the advancement of Whittier Law School, her strong work ethic, her experience in both academia and as a practicing attorney, and her ‘can do’ approach to seizing opportunity made her an outstanding candidate for dean, and the top choice among our search committee.”

Reporter MICHAEL ALEXANDER may be reached at (714) 966-4618 or at [email protected].