Liz Magill, the former president of the University of Pennsylvania who resigned amid controversy, has been appointed the next dean of Georgetown University's law school. The announcement confirms her return to a high-profile leadership role in higher education, with her tenure set to begin this August.
Magill will also serve as the executive vice president of Georgetown Law. Her appointment comes nearly three years after she stepped down from Penn's presidency following intense criticism over her testimony at a congressional hearing on campus antisemitism.
Key Takeaways
- Liz Magill will become the new dean and executive vice president of Georgetown University Law Center starting in August.
- Her previous role as president of the University of Pennsylvania ended with her resignation in December 2023.
- The resignation followed a widely criticized congressional testimony regarding the university's response to antisemitism.
- Magill is the first of several university presidents who resigned during that period to be appointed to another leadership position in academia.
A New Role in Washington
Georgetown University officially announced Magill's appointment, positioning her at the helm of one of the nation's top law schools. In a press release, Magill expressed her enthusiasm for the new position.
"I am honored to join Georgetown Law," Magill stated. "As an academic leader, I have great admiration for the Law Center’s faculty, students’ and staff’s capacity to excel and contribute across a large range of endeavors connected to law — scholarship, practice, policy, national and global reach, education and service."
Her role as both dean and executive vice president gives her significant oversight of the institution. As of the announcement, Magill is still listed as a tenured professor at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, a position she has held since 2022.
Addressing Past Controversy
Magill's departure from the University of Pennsylvania was a major national story. The controversy stemmed from her appearance before a congressional committee in December 2023, where she was questioned about antisemitism on college campuses.
When asked by Rep. Elise Stefanik if "calling for the genocide of Jews" would violate Penn's code of conduct, Magill responded that the determination would be "context-dependent." This answer triggered a swift and severe backlash from donors, lawmakers, and the public, ultimately leading to her resignation just days later.
The Congressional Hearing
The December 2023 hearing on antisemitism featured the presidents of Penn, Harvard, and MIT. The testimony from all three presidents drew criticism, but Magill's response was particularly highlighted, contributing to a crisis at her university and her eventual departure.
In a recent interview, Magill reflected on the testimony. "My testimony in Congress left people distressed, and it particularly did that for Jewish students back on the Penn campus," she told Politico. "I take very seriously the response that people had to my testimony, and I regret that I conveyed a lack of compassion and care and good sense to those people."
Her resignation, along with that of then-Penn Board of Trustees Chair Scott Bok, marked a turbulent period for the Ivy League institution.
Support and a Path Forward
Scott Bok, who resigned alongside Magill, expressed strong support for her new appointment at Georgetown.
"This is great news for Liz but even better news for Georgetown and the entire legal profession," Bok wrote in a statement. "So many constitutional rights that we took for granted are now in question. At Georgetown she can play an important role both in important legal scholarship and in training the next generation of lawyers."
The sentiment from her former law school at Penn was also positive. "I extend my warmest congratulations to Liz Magill as she steps into her new role as Dean of Georgetown Law, and wish her every success as she begins this new chapter," said Sophia Lee, Dean of Penn Carey Law.
Magill's appointment makes her the first of the university presidents who resigned in the fall of 2023 over campus unrest and antisemitism concerns to return to a major leadership post.
An Extensive Career in Academia
Before her presidency at Penn, Magill built a distinguished career in legal and academic administration. Her experience spans several elite institutions, providing her with a deep understanding of the higher education landscape.
Magill's Career Highlights
- President: University of Pennsylvania
- Provost: University of Virginia
- Dean: Stanford Law School
- Professor: University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
Following her resignation from Penn, Magill did not step away from academia. She took on research roles at Harvard University and the London School of Economics.
In March 2025, she was also appointed as a volunteer fellow at Branford College, one of Yale University's residential colleges. These positions allowed her to continue her academic work while navigating the period after her high-profile departure from Penn.
Her return to a deanship at a prestigious institution like Georgetown Law signals a significant new phase in her career, placing her back at the forefront of legal education in the United States.