Tulane Law names inaugural Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Following a national search, Tulane Law has named its first Assistant Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Law Dean David Meyer announced.

Tracie Ransom will join Tulane Law School as the inaugural Assistant Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, bringing a wealth of legal experience as well as deep expertise and leadership in promoting EDI principles in higher education, the legal profession and corporate settings.

“We are excited to welcome Tracie Ransom to Tulane,” said Dean David Meyer. “She brings an extraordinary breadth of experience and expertise to this important new role and will be an exceptional leader, not only at Tulane but for the broader profession and community.”

Ransom practiced complex litigation for nearly a decade with AmLaw 200-firm Porter Wright in Columbus, Ohio, first as an associate and later as the first Black woman to be elected partner. She then left private practice to go in-house as associate general counsel and department director for Edward Jones, a Fortune 500 investment and financial advisory firm headquartered in St. Louis.

An honors graduate of the University of Alabama and the University of Illinois College of Law, Ransom clerked for the Honorable Jeffrey S. Sutton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and the Hon. James L. Graham of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

Throughout her time in practice, Ransom has been a passionate advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion and has been widely recognized for her leadership in promoting EDI principles.  In 2019, she founded her own firm, Ransom Strategies Group, specializing in providing EDI consulting, coaching, and training nationally to law firms, corporations, and academic institutions. 

Among other engagements, she has been retained by major law firms nationwide to advise firm leaders on developing and achieving EDI goals, facilitate seminars and training, and provide career coaching and professional development support for attorneys of color. She also brings substantial experience and familiarity with higher education, leading intensive workshops as a Strategic Inclusive Leadership Instructor for the John Glenn College of Public Affairs at Ohio State University and as a former Adjunct Professor at Washburn University School of Law, teaching Race and the Law. 

Ransom’s expertise and leadership in EDI and on matters of racial justice more broadly have been recognized nationally, including through her appointment by the Supreme Court of Missouri to its Commission on Racial and Ethnic Fairness, as a Board Member for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and as a keynote speaker or trainer at multiple national venues focused on EDI.

In her new role, Ransom will help lead efforts to build a stronger, more diverse and inclusive community at Tulane Law School, including coordinating closely with faculty, staff, and administrative colleagues in student recruitment, career placement, and developing robust programming and other support to ensure student success. In addition, Ransom highlighted the need to educate the next generation of lawyers who will advance EDI principles.

“I am thrilled to join the Tulane Law family and look forward to partnering with the faculty, staff, students, and alumni in driving the critical work of EDI forward,” she said. “Now, as much as ever before, we need lawyer-leaders in our society who understand and champion the value of equity, diversity and inclusion in our profession and our democracy. I am excited about the work ahead of us and all that we will accomplish together.”

Ransom’s hire follows a restructuring in the law school’s administration. Previously, Lezlie Griffin (L ’07) served in a dual role as Assistant Dean for Career Development and Diversity Initiatives.  Following Dean Griffin’s departure to become the first Director of Talent and Equity for Earthworks, a national environmental justice non-profit, Tulane Law split her former role into two separate deanships, one focused on career development and a new deanship dedicated exclusively to equity, diversity and inclusion, which Ransom now fills. The efforts are meant to improve academic success as well as career placement, career counseling and programming for a robust inclusive community.

Earlier this fall, Vanessa Beary (NC ’98), a long-time career counselor in the CDO, was selected as Assistant Dean for Career Development after a national search. She is an experienced litigator, counselor and law professor.

The restructuring also created a new position to support students, that of the Director of Academic Success.  Following a national search, the law school named Laura Page to the role, and she will counsel and assist students to ensure their academic success in the classroom and in preparation for their careers after graduation. Page, a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, brings deep experience in promoting educational access and equity.