Aviva Abramovsky, dean of the University of Idaho College of Law, resigned from UI on Jan. 5 to take on a new role at the National Judicial College. Abramovsky will serve as the institution’s first female president and CEO.
“Being raised by a criminal law professor and an administrative law judge, I have tremendous respect for the judiciary and the valuable service they provide to our country and their communities each day,” Abramovsky said in a press release. “Their jobs are often difficult and undervalued and the NJC is here not only to develop judges who strive to be the best they can be, but to build a community that supports and inspires the judiciary.”
The NJC is a non-profit school located in Reno, Nevada, and an entity of the American Bar Association. According to its website, it is the only educational institution in the U.S. teaching courtroom skills to judges nationally and internationally.
“I appreciate all she has done for the college and university while serving as dean and wish her well with her new endeavors,” Torrey Lawrence, provost and executive vice president for UI, said in an email to university staff.
Diane Kelly-Riley, vice provost for faculty, will serve as the acting dean for the College of Law until an interim dean is appointed. The interim dean will then serve in the role until a permanent dean is appointed, which Lawrence expects will be sometime this summer.
National search firm Buffkin/Baker will assist in the search for permanent dean candidates. Ginger Carney, dean of the College of Science, will serve as the chair of the search committee, according to Lawrence.
“Dean Abramovsky is passionate about the two things that matter most to the NJC: the law and education,” Hon. Mary-Margaret Anderson, immediate past chair of the NJC Board of Trustees, said in the NJC press release. “She has impressive experience in both program development and fundraising and is a personable and dynamic speaker. Dean Abramovsky is the strategic visionary the NJC needs to grow and flourish.”
During Abramovsky’s time as dean, UI’s College of Law welcomed its largest incoming class since 1909 and grew 9.8% in total enrollment since 2024.
In 2025, the National Jurist’s preLaw magazine ranked UI’s tax law program an A, recognizing it as one of the top 12 programs in the nation. UI’s business law program was also ranked as an A-, which places it in the top 65 programs in the nation. In 2025, UI had a first-time bar passage rate of 68.38% and an ultimate pass rate of 78.98%.
Abramovsky joined UI on June 10, 2024. She previously served as dean of the University at Buffalo School of Law from 2017-2024 and associate dean at Syracuse University.
Dakota Steffen can be reached at [email protected].