Hessick, who has served as interim dean since September 2025, has accepted the role on a permanent basis, effective immediately.

By University Communications and Marketing

Andy Hessick, who has served as interim dean of the UNC School of Law since September 2025, has accepted the role on a permanent basis, effective immediately.

Hessick is the Judge John J. Parker Distinguished Professor of Law and served as associate dean for strategy and planning at the law school under former Dean Martin Brinkley. He has led the school since Brinkley stepped down to focus on teaching.

“We are delighted to name Andy Hessick as our next dean of the School of Law,” said Magnus Egerstedt, executive vice chancellor and provost. “He brings deep expertise in both the legal profession and legal education, along with a strong understanding of the school and its mission. His thoughtful leadership and clear vision make him exceptionally well positioned to lead its next chapter.”

Hessick has been a Carolina law faculty member since 2016 and was named associate dean in 2018. He and Brinkley led the efforts to bolster the school’s reputation and support its growth. During their tenures, the school’s U.S. News & World Report ranking rose 27 spots, from 45 to 18, making it one of the nation’s top four publicly supported law schools. The No. 18 ranking was repeated in 2026, placing the school in the top 10% of law schools and tying with Georgetown University Law Center.

“I’m honored and humbled to serve as dean of the School of Law,” Hessick said. “For over 180 years, Carolina Law has produced lawyers and leaders who serve in North Carolina and throughout the world, and it is a privilege to have the opportunity to continue that proud legacy and to guide Carolina Law into the future.”

Hessick received his Doctor of Law from Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal. After law school, he clerked for judges in two circuits of the U.S. Court of Appeals. He then served as a Bristow Fellow in the U.S. Solicitor General’s office and practiced litigation in Washington, D.C. He previously taught at the University of Utah and Arizona State University and was a visiting assistant professor at Boston University.

Hessick’s teaching and research interests include federal courts, administrative law, remedies and the judicial process. While serving as associate dean, he launched the Supreme Court program, which provides an opportunity for students to work on cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, and helped the UNC School of Law add courses in corporate and transactional law.