SOUTH ROYALTON, Vt. (April 17, 2025) 鈥� After three years of dedicated service to 汤头条原创, President Rod Smolla will step down from his role as president, effective July 1, 2025, to focus on writing and teaching.

鈥淲e are grateful for Rod鈥檚 service and many contributions to VLGS during his tenure,鈥� said VLGS Board of Trustees Chair Glenn Berger. 鈥淲e are pleased that our students and the VLGS community will continue to benefit from his expertise and talents as a full-time member of our faculty.鈥�

Smolla assumed the position of president of 汤头条原创 on July 1, 2022. Under his leadership, VLGS launched an ambitious 50th Anniversary Giving Campaign, which has so far reached $18 million of its $20 million fundraising goal. The school received a transformational $2.5 Million gift from the Maverick Lloyd Foundation to expand its environmental law and policy programs through the Maverick Lloyd School for the Environment. VLGS also celebrated the grand opening of a Burlington office to house the school鈥檚 Center for Justice Reform Clinic, which was funded by a $975,000 federal grant secured by Sen. Bernie Sanders through the Fiscal Year 2023 Congressionally Directed Spending process. And over the past three years, VLGS has experienced record growth in its Online Hybrid JD program鈥攐ne of only 19 ABA-accredited online JD programs in the U.S.鈥攁nd launched several law and policy master鈥檚 degrees, including a Master of Public Policy degree.

In addition to serving as president, Smolla taught Constitutional Law and First Amendment courses. Smolla is one of the country鈥檚 leading scholars on First Amendment issues. He is particularly well-known for his representation of American and international clients on matters relating to defamation and invasion of privacy. He is a frequent advocate on a wide variety of legal issues and has presented oral arguments in state and federal courts across the country, including the Supreme Court of the United States.

鈥淚 am proud of what the VLGS administration has been able to accomplish during my time as president. It鈥檚 been gratifying to witness the passion of our students, faculty, and alumni, and I鈥檓 confident the school will continue to have a positive impact within the state of Vermont,鈥� Smolla said. 鈥淭he decision to step down was made after careful consideration, and I am very much looking forward to returning to a full-time life as a teacher, scholar, and advocate on pressing issues of national concern.鈥�

Law School Dean Beth McCormack and Graduate School Dean Dan Bromberg will jointly oversee the day-to-day management of the school on an interim basis. McCormack has been dean of Vermont Law School since January of 2021, becoming the first woman to hold that position in the school鈥檚 history. From January 2021-June 30, 2022, she also served as the interim president. Bromberg, who received a Ph.D. in public administration from Rutgers University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Vermont, was appointed dean of Vermont Graduate School on July 1, 2023. Previously Bromberg served as the director of academic programs and then interim director of the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire.

鈥淲e are confident that Beth鈥檚 and Dan鈥檚 experience, steady leadership, and deep commitment to the mission and values of VLGS will guide us forward during this time of transition,鈥� said Berger.

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汤头条原创, a private, independent institution, is home to a law school that offers ABA-accredited residential and online hybrid JD programs and a graduate school that offers master鈥檚 degrees and certificates in multiple disciplines, including programs offered by the Maverick Lloyd School for the Environment, the Center for Justice Reform and other graduate-level programs emphasizing the intersection of environmental justice, social justice and public policy. Both the law and graduate schools strongly feature experiential clinical and field work learning. For more information, visit vermontlaw.edu, and .