In a strategic move to enhance the student experience, Cornell Law School has unveiled major updates to its student services function. The restructuring introduces Jenny Hutcherson as the newly appointed Dean of Students, while Shane Cooper assumes the elevated role of Senior Associate Dean for Admissions, Financial Aid, and Student Services.

Hutcherson, who became dean of students on August 1, 2024, had been serving as the Associate Director for Graduate Legal Studies since 2022, providing counseling and support to LL.M. and J.S.D. students on course enrollment, degree and bar requirements, and accommodations, among other responsibilities.

Jenny Hutcherson, Dean of Students and Assistant Dean for Student Services

This summer, she served as interim director of student services, overseeing J.D. orientation and other activities. Prior to joining Cornell, Hutcherson spent over thirteen years at Wake Forest University Law School, first as coordinator of J.D. Admissions and Financial Aid, and then as International and Graduate Programs manager. She steps into her new role with a wealth of experience and the wise judgment cultivated from those prior roles.

“I am honored to take on the role of Dean of Students,” said Hutcherson. “I look forward to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment that will contribute to our students’ success and well-being.”

In his new role, Shane Cooper, who had been Dean of Admissions, will continue to lead J.D. recruitment efforts as he oversees the support of the current student body. He will work closely with Hutcherson and provide strategic direction to the Dean of Students staff on all aspects of counseling and student case management. He will also serve as the primary point of contact for the faculty administrative committee in its deliberations on ADA accommodations, leave of absences, and academic deficiency determinations, and will be the officer of record for character and fitness certification to bar authorities. Cooper ’03 spent a career in public service in the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps before transitioning to law school administration.

“I am very excited about serving the law school community in this updated role,” said Cooper, “and most excited about the opportunity to not only work with incoming students at the admissions phase but to also be there to support them for their entire law school experience.”

A search is underway to fill the position of Associate Director for Graduate Legal Studies, previously occupied by Hutcherson. This position will be integrated into the Dean of Students office, reporting to Hutcherson, to provide unified services to both J.D. and LL.M. students. This change is intended to bring LL.M. and J.S.D. students into the center of the student-centric Law School mission and leverage Hutcherson’s extensive background working with the LL.M. population. The Graduate Legal Studies office, under the direction of Aimée Houghton, will focus on LL.M. and J.S.D. recruitment, areas of growing international competition.

In another branch of student services, the Law School welcomed Raphael “Rafi” Stern ’17 as the new Director of Judicial Clerkships in August. In addition to serving as an associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in its Bankruptcy & Corporate Reorganization Group, Stern has also worked at Lawyers Alliance for New York and most relevantly, as a clerk in federal Bankruptcy court.

“These strategic changes reflect Cornell Law School’s commitment to enhancing the student experience and supporting the academic and professional growth of its diverse student body,” said Jens Ohlin, Allan R. Tessler Dean and Professor of Law. “We are well positioned to recruit, educate, and train the next cohort of lawyers in the best sense.”