DeKalb-Dean LeRoy Pernell, Northern Illinois University College of Law, announces the appointment of Professor James J. Alfini as Dean of South Texas College of Law.

Professor Alfini has been with the NIU College of Law since 1991.  From 1991 until 1997, Professor Alfini served as Dean, coming to NIU after being a Professor of Law at Florida State University College of Law since 1986.

While at Florida State University, Professor Alfini was Director of Education and Research for the Florida Dispute Resolution Center.  He chaired the Standards Subcommittee of the Standing Committee on Arbitration and Mediation of the Supreme Court of Florida.

While with NIU, Professor Alfini continued his scholarship in the field of mediation and judicial ethics.  Author of numerous books, book chapters, and articles, his most recent publication (2001) is Mediation, Theory, and Practice (with Press, Sternlight, and Stulberg).  He has served as a member of the Illinois Judicial Ethics Advisory Council and has spoken on the topic of judicial ethics to newly elected judges at the Illinois New Judges College. 

Professor Alfini's areas of teaching expertise are Alternative Dispute Resolution, Civil Procedure, Constitutional Law, Environmental Law, and Professional Responsibility.  He developed mediation internships through the College of Law's Zeke Giorgi Clinic in Rockford and organized both internal and external mediation competitions on behalf of the College.

"Professor Alfini has established the highest national reputation in the areas of Alternative Dispute Resolution and Professional Responsibility and has offered wonderful opportunities to our students to become knowledgeable and fluent in these increasingly-important areas of legal practice," Dean Pernell said.  "Our entire community here at NIU -- from faculty and students to administration and staff -- have benefited from his being among us.  We wish him the best of luck in this new phase of his professional life but we will miss him."