NIU College of Law names Marc Falkoff acting associate dean

Oak Park resident and associate professor Marc Falkoff has been named acting associate dean of the Northern Illinois University College of Law. Falkoff replaces Dave Gaebler, who has retired from the position.

Falkoff will continue to teach courses in criminal law, criminal procedure, post-conviction remedies, the federal courts and lawyering skills.

"We have been very fortunate to have Marc sharing his insights on criminal law and its practices. In his most recent role as director of faculty development he has also demonstrated his strengths in providing direction and support for his fellow faculty. In his new role, I look forward to working with him - building on his academic and administrative successes with various NIU Law communities," said Mark Cordes, Dean of NIU Law.

"Dean Gaebler has made an indelible mark in his role as associate dean. I am excited at the opportunity to continue his work with faculty, students and alumni in moving this great school forward," said Marc Falkoff.

Falkoff's primary research and teaching interests are in the rule of law and the practice of public interest law. Since 2004, he has represented a number of prisoners being held by the U.S. military at Guantanamo Bay on suspicion of involvement with terrorism. He is a noted scholar on the subject and has published several articles about detention policies and the War on Terror.

For this work, he was named the Charles F.C. Ruff Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year in 2005 by his former law firm, Covington & Burling LLP. He received the Frederick Douglass Human Rights Award in 2007 from the Southern Center for Human Rights and the Bill of Rights in Action Award in 2008 from the Constitutional Rights Foundation in Chicago.

He has taught at NIU Law since 2006. In 2009, he received the NIU Foundation Award for Faculty Excellence.

Falkoff is a graduate of Columbia Law School and holds a Ph.D. in American Literature from Brandeis University, an M.A. from The University of Michigan and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.

NIU College of Law - the only public law school in the Chicago area - has been named a top law school nationally for diversity, value, and careers in public interest/government service. NIU Law provides unique opportunities for its students, beginning with its highly accomplished faculty who are personally invested in the success of their students throughout their careers. Although many alumni serve as public interest attorneys, prosecutors, defenders, elected officials, and judges, they are equally prepared for careers as solo practitioners and/or lawyers in multinational firms.

For more information on NIU College of Law and Marc Falkoff, visit www.niu.edu/law.